When it comes to carbon monoxide (CO) safety in schools, most action happens after someone is harmed. Too often, it takes hospitalizations—or worse—for inspections, policies, or funding to follow. That’s why Kentucky’s recent announcement outlining a 2026 statewide carbon monoxide safety initiative deserves national attention.

Carbon monoxide in college housing has injured and killed students across the U.S.—often in dorms, fraternity houses, and off-campus apartments where detection and training are inconsistent. Drawing from national incident data and real campus tragedies, this article explores why CO safety varies by state, why building codes treat student spaces differently, and why many students are being told to protect themselves with personal CO alarms.

Carbon monoxide (CO) detection rules are inconsistent across schools, daycares, churches, camps, and athletic facilities. Buildings aren’t regulated by who uses them — they’re regulated by how the code classifies them. And that classification, called an occupancy type, determines whether CO detection is required, optional, or never mentioned at all. The problem? Most parents, teachers, and even administrators have no idea which occupancy type their building falls under.

Explore how CO Safe Schools strengthened its national database of school carbon monoxide incidents—and why better data improves public health, safety, and prevention.

When a carbon monoxide (CO) incident happens on a school campus, one of the first questions everyone asks is: “Where did it come from?” Parents want to know. Staff want to know. Journalists want to know. Fire marshals and investigators need  to know. But right now, the language we use to describe CO sources in schools is inconsistent and confusing. News stories call it a “gas leak,” a “ventilation problem,” an “equipment issue,” or simply “fumes,” even when the actual hazard

It's time to set the record straight: Carbon monoxide is not a “gas leak.” It is a toxic gas exposure. And using the wrong language confuses the public, delays understanding, and prevents families from knowing what actually happened, or how to protect their children in the future. This imprecise reporting isn’t a small issue. It undermines awareness, downplays risk, and allows preventable CO incidents to keep happening.

If you’re responsible for a school, childcare center, campus facility, or any public building, you may have been told some version of: “Don’t worry; we have CO detectors installed.” But here’s the problem: Most buildings rely on carbon monoxide devices that weren’t designed for educational or multi-room environments. And many assume all CO detection devices work the same; they don’t.

Every year, students and educators are exposed to, and often poisoned by, a gas that no one can see, smell, taste, or hear: carbon monoxide. At CO Safe Schools, we believe that awareness isn't enough; we need a framework that helps everyone understand how to take action. That's why we developed the 4 P's of CO Safety: poison, prevention, protection, and preparedness.

For decades, carbon monoxide (CO) safety education has relied on a familiar visual: a chart linking parts per million (PPM) to predicted health effects. It’s neat, it’s easy to reference, and it’s dangerously incomplete. Because carbon monoxide exposure doesn’t follow charts. It follows conditions: who you are, where you are, and how long you’re there. That’s why it’s time for a new way to understand CO’s impact: a model that puts people, not numbers, at the center.

"Why Don't All Schools Have Carbon Monoxide Detection?" Tune in for the answer.

Carbon monoxide exposure is preventable. Our Five Year Snapshot report shows there's still a ways to go before schools are actually taking the steps to prevent.

"Negative air pressure" may sound harmless, but it's a big factor in carbon monoxide buildup in school buildings.

The model building codes used in the U.S. are updated every three years, but not often regularly adopted by states, leaving tremendous gaps in safety.

CO Safe Schools has released its 2nd annual U.S. Campus Report Card – highlighting startling statistics and data for 2023-2024 school year.

CO Safe Schools has released its Campus Safety Report for the 2022-2023 school year, reviewing the year's campus-based CO incidents.

A look at Boston Public Schools Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) dashboard, released in 2022.

Carbon monoxide alarms are readily used in homes – but would you know what to expect to see or hear in a daycare, school, or college campus?

The big question: why are there no federally mandated carbon monoxide detection requirements in schools? The not so simple answer:...

This webinar focuses on the educational aspect of CO safety – understanding what it is, how it impacts a campus, and how to get involved.

Another carbon monoxide poisoning incident in a school – this time catching national media's attention because of the events that...