It is puzzling there was none in the cellar of the restaurant where the heating system broke down and led to the death of the place's manager, the deathly sickening of others, and a lot of danger and ill-effects for first responders.
There will now be an investigation and we hope the laws will be changed to prevent more horrible events like this happening ( last year in the United States, way too many people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in all sorts of places, including hotels, -- in NYC, where laws are stricter than most places, the FDNY sends firefighter lecturers around to schools and other places to make sure everyone knows about the dangers).
I have a smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector in my apartment and test it regularly to make sure it is OK. ( It has an alarm built in which also tells you when it is time to replace the battery).
Man dies, dozens hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak at New York mall
For video:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/23/justice/new-york-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/
updated 3:27 PM EST, Sun February 23, 2014
Deadly carbon monoxide leak at mall
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Legal Sea Foods CEO: "Stronger safety measures must be put in place"
- Town official says investigators found a leak in water heater's flue pipe
- 27 people were hospitalized after the incident
- Police and ambulance crews felt dizzy as well
Another 26 people were treated and released after the incident, according to hospitals.
Police and emergency
crews rushed to Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station, New York, on
Saturday night after reports that a woman had collapsed in the basement
of Legal Sea Foods. Once they arrived, they felt dizzy as well and
determined that the cause was carbon monoxide poisoning, said police in
Suffolk County, New York.
"Police evacuated the
restaurant and found the manager, Steven Nelson, 55, of Copiague,
unconscious in the basement," a statement said. "He was transported to
Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead."
A sign on the restaurant's door Sunday said the building has been condemned as being unsafe and unfit for human habitation.
Investigators found a leak in the flue pipe of the water heater, said A.J. Carter, a spokesman for the town of Huntington.
Authorities sent the restaurant a summons for faulty equipment, which carries a fine of up to $2,000, Carter said.
Colorless, odorless carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas.
The restaurant didn't
have a carbon monoxide detector. State fire codes require them only in
establishments where people sleep, Carter said.
Legal Sea Foods is
subject to annual inspection, and there were no issues when a town
official inspected the restaurant in March. The restaurant was scheduled
for another inspection at the end of next month.
The restaurant and
surrounding businesses were evacuated as a precaution Saturday, but
authorities said the carbon monoxide appeared limited to the basement of
the restaurant.
National Grid, the
restaurant's natural gas provider, shut off a gas line shared by Panera
Bread and Legal Sea Foods as a precaution, Carter said.
Before either restaurant
can reopen, he said, they'll have to get plumbers to check for leaks
and receive certification from the town's plumbing inspector.
Boston-based Legal Sea
Foods offered its condolences to Nelson's family and said it planned to
check safety at all of its restaurants as a result of the incident.
"The terrible tragedy
highlights the inadequacy of the codes for carbon monoxide detectors in
commercial spaces. In the wake of Saturday night's tragic events, I have
instructed our operations team to conduct an exhaustive safety check at
all our restaurants. This includes not only ensuring that we meet local
codes as we did in Huntington, but putting a plan in place to exceed
them in order to safeguard everyone," Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger
Berkowitz said in a written statement. "Stronger safety measures must be
put in place, and I pledge to be at the forefront of this effort."
Grief counselors will be meeting with the restaurant's associates, and their family and friends, Berkowitz said.
"Steve's tragic death is
a shock to all of us at Legal Sea Foods," he said. "He was one of the
finest people we've ever had the pleasure of working with."
CNN's Alexandra Field reported from New
York. CNN's Faith Karimi and Joe Sutton reported from Atlanta. CNN's
Chris Welch, Catherine E. Shoichet, Chris Kokenes, Susan Candiotti and
Lawrence Crook contributed to this report.
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