WASHINGTON, D.C. – Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 7, 2021, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends marking the time change by replacing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. With people spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing furnaces, fireplaces, and other fuel-burning appliances to put in extra work, working smoke and CO alarms have never been more important.
CPSC estimates an annual average of 362,000 unintentional residential fires, resulting in approximately 2,400 deaths, 10,400 injuries and $7 billion in property losses from 2016 through 2018.
Carbon monoxide is called the invisible killer, because you cannot see or smell it. Carbon monoxide poisoning can come from portable generators, home heating systems and other CO-producing appliances. The majority of CO deaths occur in the colder months of the year between November and February.
More than 400 people die every year of CO poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
After replacing the batteries this year, check alarms every month to make sure they are working. Better yet, install alarms with 10-year sealed batteries that don’t need replacing for a decade. Create a fire escape plan, including two ways out of every room, and practice it. Check your home for other hidden hazards, using CPSC’s COVID-19 safety checklist.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800