Toronto, Ontario, Nov. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ontario’s annual Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness Week begins today as CO remains a leading cause of unintentional poisoning across the province.  Approximately 65% of all CO injuries and deaths in Ontario occur in homes and most, if not all, are preventable.  As a leading source of unintentional poisonings, CO incidents continue to contribute to substantial demands on health care services as well as annual financial impacts of approximately $2.6 billion¹.

As Carbon Monoxide Week rolls out safety experts at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) are speaking out about preventive measures to help prevent CO incidents in the home.

“While CO presents serious hazards, residents can essentially eliminate any potential harm by having fuel-burning appliances installed properly and inspected annually by a TSSA-registered contractor and by installing working CO alarms,” says Sam Sadeghi, Director, Fuels Safety, TSSA.

Take Action. Think Safe.

• Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected annually through the services of a TSSA-registered fuel contractor

      - To find a TSSA-registered contractor near you use the Find A Registered Contractor Tool at cosafety.ca.

• Install certified CO alarms in your home, regularly test them and replace in accordance with manufacturer’s instruction.

TSSA continues to partner with local fire and emergency services and other safety-minded organizations to deliver critical CO safety information to residents in communities across Ontario.

Attached is a carbon monoxide backgrounder.

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^1.  Potential Lost, Potential for Change – The Cost of Injury in Canada 2021 Parachute Canada, BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Public Health Agency of Canada.

About TSSA

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is one of Ontario’s public safety regulators mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce provincial safety regulations and enhance public safety. Throughout Ontario, TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education and consumer information, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety.

For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.

Attachment

• Carbon Monoxide Frequently Asked Questions

CONTACT: Alexandra Campbell Technical Standards & Safety Authority 416-734-6227 media@tssa.org