To take a closer look at carbon monoxide awareness and to shed light on how to mitigate the risk of CO poisoning through safety standards, UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE) recently published a new report, “Understanding the Silent Threat: Early Detection and Prevention of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.”

While carbon monoxide poisoning sends more than 100,000 people to the emergency department in the United States each year and claims the lives of hundreds of others, one-third of U.S. homes lack CO detection, the study finds. What’s more, people have the false perception that protections exist in public spaces, and this misassumption puts lives at risk.

“Americans are making dangerous assumptions about carbon monoxide that contribute to a false sense of security that they are protected or that poisoning won't happen to them,” said Sayon Deb, director of primary insights at ULSE. “Even with portable generators, which are the dominant cause of carbon monoxide deaths, we found major gaps in knowledge about safe operation and relatively low concern about exposure.”

As the study’s findings highlight the importance of enhanced product safety guidelines, and the need for more widespread and stringent use of standards, ULSE reports that it has more than 75 that address carbon monoxide safety in residential, commercial, and industrial environments.

Access the research synopsis and the study via ULSE.