Ice rink air quality: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ammonia

Ice rinks carry two air hazards most buildings don’t. Fuel-powered ice resurfacers, edgers and heaters can push carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) to dangerous levels in an enclosed arena. And many rinks make ice with ammonia refrigeration, which is efficient but deadly if it leaks.

Carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide

CO is odorless and colorless, and NO₂ irritates the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Both come from internal-combustion equipment, and incidents of skaters and spectators getting sick after exposure at indoor rinks are reported around the country every year. Electric resurfacers and edgers don’t produce either gas, which is one reason many rinks are switching.

What the rules say

There is no federal air quality standard for indoor ice arenas. Only three states regulate rink air: Minnesota, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Minnesota was first, in 1973, and requires testing for CO and NO₂. Connecticut, New Hampshire and Wisconsin publish non-binding guidance, and the EPA’s guidance for rink operators is voluntary.

The regulations appear to work. Minnesota reports no CO- or NO₂-related events requiring a hospital visit at its ice arenas from 2004 to 2024. The U.S. Ice Rink Association recommends that all rinks follow Minnesota’s action levels: 20 ppm for CO and 0.3 ppm for NO₂, with corrective steps when either is exceeded.

Michigan isn’t one of the regulated states, so air monitoring at Michigan rinks is up to the operator.

Ammonia: the lesson from Fernie

On October 17, 2017, three workers died after an ammonia leak at the Fernie Memorial Arena in British Columbia. Investigators found ammonia had been showing up in the chiller’s brine for months, the equipment was put back into service anyway, and the city’s emergency plans for ammonia leaks hadn’t been reviewed in five years. After the tragedy, WorkSafeBC inspected all 223 arenas in the province and found 181 using ammonia refrigeration.

The takeaway for operators: early warning signs usually exist. What fails is the system for noticing them and acting in time.

A practical monitoring checklist

• Monitor CO and NO₂ continuously at ice level and in the stands, not just during periodic tests, and watch levels after every resurfacing.
• Send ammonia alarms beyond the mechanical room. A local alarm only helps if someone hears it. Alerts should reach managers’ phones, day and night.
• Never silence an alarm without a plan. Treat every alarm as real until it’s investigated.
• Keep records. Readings, alarms and corrective actions in one log make inspections, insurance and staff training easier.
• Maintain or replace combustion equipment and keep ventilation working as designed.
• Review your emergency plan every season and run evacuation drills.

Where OMNI fits

OMNI Sentinel can be built with carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ammonia sensors as specialty builds, with thresholds you set and alerts to your team’s phones. Every reading is logged in OMNI Cloud. The same platform covers vaping in locker rooms and restrooms, and Sentinel Plus adds panic buttons for staff. OMNI monitoring supplements, and does not replace, the gas detection your fire, building and refrigeration codes require. See gas detection →

Sources: Environmental Law Institute, “Air Quality in Indoor Ice Arenas”; Stateline (Aug. 2024); Canadian Medical Association Journal (2026); U.S. Ice Rink Association guidelines; WorkSafeBC and Technical Safety BC investigation reports on the Fernie Memorial Arena (2018); CBC News. This article is general information, not legal or engineering advice.