Kentucky Carbon Monoxide Initiative Announced

Governor Beshear Announces Kentucky Carbon Monoxide Initiative

Kentucky Governor Beshear Announces a Kentucky Carbon Monoxide Initiative to improve safety in buildings that were existing before 2011 CO regulations, which applied only to new construction. 

By Rebecca Martin

The Commonwealth Public Protection Cabinet launched a sweeping initiative on Kentucky carbon monoxide safety on January 7, 2026. The initiative, announced by Governor Andy Beshear seeks to address carbon monoxide safety issues encountered by the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.

The initiative focuses on several areas of concern in the housing, building and construction industries and provides safety measures aimed at both members of those industries and consumers.

A new Kentucky Carbon Monoxide Initiative will improve safety in buildings that were existing before 2011 CO regulations. The 2011 regulations applied only to new construction. 

Like many states, Kentucky has an aging infrastructure. While new construction  is governed by regulations requiring carbon monoxide detectors, much of Kentucky’s infrastructure did not fall under those regulations as those measures did not apply to pre-2011 construction.

Governor Andy Beshear announced that the new initiative would require a new proactive approach to inspections of aging buildings, beginning with schools and eventually covering daycares and nursing facilities. He explained that “With aging infrastructure at many of our schools, we are taking proactive steps to keep students and teachers safe from the invisible threat of carbon monoxide.” Inspectors will be examining systems associated with a risk for carbon monoxide poisoning and ventilation systems associated with such systems.

Extending these 10-15 year old requirements for CO alarms to buildings to those structures that were built before the date of those ordinances is highly important. Buildings older than 15 years of age are those most likely to be dealing with aging HVAC systems. Fuel burning appliances wear out, greatly increasing the risk of carbon monoxide leaks. Those structures are the ones most in need of carbon monoxide alarms, as they are the buildings where safety is most likely compromised.

The Governor’s team will be working with local building professionals  and the Department of Education to conduct the  first phase of inspections statewide with an emphasis on furnace rooms, HVAC systems, kitchen equipment and emergency monitoring services.

Earlier this winter, Governor Beshear established a protocol for wellness checks in rural areas during extreme weather, deploying the Kentucky National Guard to assist with checking on residents and assistance in transporting those in need to shelter to assure that home-related injuries from carbon monoxide were addressed. The risk for carbon monoxide exposure increases drastically during cold weather, storms and power outages. State troopers were also enlisted to carry out home wellness checks across the state.

The new initiative will also affect those involved in the building industry as all Housing, Building and Construction (HBC) inspectors will be required to carry carbon monoxide detection devices and conduct a visual inspection as well as provide carbon monoxide detector readings.

Officials remind residents and building operators  to inspect fuel-burning systems and ventilation during these months of peak usage and that all Kentuckians should be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure. Safety measures are included on the HBC website. https://dhbc.ky.gov

For the public, suspected cases of carbon monoxide exposure can be submitted through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction’s website at https://dhbc.ky.gov