TORONTO, ON, November 3, 2025 – Every year, Ontario homes are the location of nearly 65 per cent of all CO incidents. CO also remains a leading cause of unintentional poisoning. With this in mind and to raise awareness of CO risks, four of the provinces’ leading safety organizations are teaming up to fight this “silent killer”. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), Ontario Poison Centre (OPC), Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) are combining efforts for Ontario’s annual CO Awareness Week, running November 1 to 7, to drive home a few critical messages.
The four organizations work year-round to increase carbon monoxide awareness and help Ontarians take practical steps to reduce risks at home. Each brings its own lens and focus to the challenge.
This fall, TSSA is once again launching one of its community CO safety campaigns. Previous campaigns have reached thousands of residents, successfully increasing their levels of CO knowledge and the actions to take to reduce risks. Building on these proven campaigns, TSSA is rolling out new initiatives this fall to broaden the reach even further. Ontarians can now access a series of short, sharable videos explaining CO safety basics, along with a new “Kids CO Activity Sheet” designed to engage younger audiences. All resources are available online at COsafety.ca.
These efforts, combined with the safety resources and education materials available on the websites of OPC, Parachute and SickKids, are making it easier for Ontarians to access up-to-date, reliable information and practical tools to reduce the risks and potential of harms of CO poisoning.
This unified approach underscores a shared commitment to CO safety with clear focus on helping all Ontario residents to reduce CO risks in their homes. By combining voices, resources and expertise, TSSA, OPC, Parachute, and SickKids are helping residents in Ontario take simple but vital steps to keep themselves, family and friends safe.
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TSSA
“Our public education efforts are two-fold: increasing CO awareness and providing clear actions to reduce CO risk” says Owen Kennedy, Director, Fuels Safety Program.“ It’s all about scheduling an inspection of their fuel-burning appliances and having certified, working CO alarms in their homes; two key actions to protect themselves and their loved ones from CO risks in their home.”
OPC
“CO is a leading cause of inadvertent poisoning in Ontario and remains a major cause of preventable harm.” says, Dr. Emily Austin, Medical Director.” OPC telephone service provides guidance to the public on what to do in the event of a possible CO exposure and supports health care providers in managing affected patients. We are pleased to be working with TSSA, Parachute and SickKids on these important CO public education initiatives.”
Parachute
“When Canadians think of sources of poisoning, they aren’t aware that carbon monoxide is a leading cause of unintentional poisoning deaths in Canada and North America,” says Pamela Fuselli, President & CEO at Parachute. “It’s important to generate more awareness of CO risks and better understanding of the steps Canadians can take to better protect their homes and families. Collaborating with TSSA, OPC and SickKids is an opportunity to extend our reach to enhance the public’s level of CO knowledge.”
SickKids
“Children are a particularly at-risk group for many poisons, including carbon monoxide, due to their smaller size, higher metabolic rate, and developing bodies” explains Emma Schmidt, Injury Prevention Specialist at SickKids. “As experts in child health, it is important for us to help ensure that parents and caregivers are aware of the risks and understand how to reduce them. The new initiatives led by TSSA are another important resource to provide essential information about CO awareness and prevention.”
The attached backgrounder provides additional information on carbon monoxide.
Stay one step ahead of CO – Beat the Silent Killer. TAKEACTION. THINKSAFE. COsafety.ca
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About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) administers provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services includes public education, authorization, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
www.tssa.org
About Ontario Poison Centre
The Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) is a telephone toxicology consultation service that provides expert poison advice 24 hours a day to the public, emergency service personnel and health-care professionals across the province. The OPC participates in the ongoing care of the poisoned patient by following the clinical course of hospitalization, assessing the effectiveness of treatment recommendations and providing additional treatment recommendations. Our toxicology experts will collaborate with other health-care professionals to advocate for optimal, current and evidence-based care of the poisoned patient. The OPC is operated and supported by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto.
www.ontariopoisoncentre.com
About Parachute
Parachute, founded in 2012 through the amalgamation of four charities in the injury prevention field, has become Canada’s leader in injury prevention focused on three key areas where people are unintentionally injured: in the home, at play, and on the move. We educate and advocate for preventing serious injury in our homes, in sports and recreation and on our roads.
www.parachute.ca
About Sick Kids
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), affiliated with the University of Toronto, is Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children's health in the country.
With passionate and dedicated staff, SickKids is much more than a hospital. We work each day to provide the best in child and family-centred care, pioneer ground-breaking clinical and scientific advancements, and train the next generation of experts in child health. Together, we are advancing Precision Child Health, a movement to individualize care for every child based on what makes them unique - from their genetic code to their postal code. More information on injury prevention at SickKids can be found at: https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/injuryprev
For more information or to arrange media availability, please contact:
TSSA
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications, Stakeholder Relations
and Customer Service
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
Email: media@tssa.org
Parachute
Kelley Teahen
Vice President, Communications and Marketing
Telephone: 647-776-5128
Email: media@parachute.ca
SickKids/OPC
Sarah Warr
Team Lead, External Communications & Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
Email: sarah.warr@sickkids.ca