Carbon Monoxide Safety

11/25/2019 (Permalink)

Carbon Monoxide detectors can help you prevent fires in your home.

Carbon Monoxide is often called “The Invisible Killer”. It is an odorless, colorless gas that frequently goes undetected. When the gas builds up in enclosed spaces, people or animals that breathe it in can be poisoned. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year more than 400,000 people in the U.S. die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. Over 20,000 visit the emergency room and over 4,000 are hospitalized.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The winter season can be a prime time for carbon monoxide poisoning since people turn on their heating systems and mistakenly warm up their cars in the garage. It is recommended by the National Safety Council that you install battery operated carbon monoxide detectors in the hallway near each separate sleeping area in your home. Check or replace the batteries when you change the clocks and replace the detector every five years.

Additional tips:

• Have your furnace, water heater, and any other gas or coal burning appliances services by a trained professional every year
• Never use portable flame less chemical heaters inside
• Have your chimney checked and cleaned every year, and make sure the damper in your fireplace is open before lighting a fire and well after the fire is extinguished
• Never use a gas oven for heating the inside of your home
• Never use a generator inside your home, basement or garage or less than 2o feet away from any window, door or vent. Fatal levels of carbon monoxide can be produced within minutes even if you have your doors and windows open
• Never run a car in a garage that is attached to the house

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Low to moderate carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms:
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
• High level carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms:
  • Mental confusion
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of muscular coordination
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Death

If your Carbon Monoxide Alarm sounds, immediately move outside to fresh air, and call 9-1-1. Do not reenter the premises until emergency responders have given you permission to do so.