Is Your Home Safe From Carbon Monoxide?

After a tragedy in Massachusetts this month that was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in a home. the state is offering tips on how to prevent this from happening to you and your family.

First and foremost on the list of tips is to have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home or apartment. It's actually a law called Nicole's Law, which makes detectors mandatory in most housing. The law was named after 7-year-old Nicole Garafalo of Plymouth, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a snow drift had blocked a furnace vent at her home.

It's recommended that all homes have at least one detector on each floor. They should be within 10 feet of bedrooms. Like smoke detectors, batteries should be changed at the same time we set our clocks for DST. The alarms should also be replaced once they are seven-years-old.

Another tip is not to let your car warm-up in a garage that is attached to, or underneath your home. This was listed as the cause of death for a Cape Cod woman last December.

There are many more ideas and tips on how to keep your family safe at Massgov.