Prevention is the Key to Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes.  Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned.  Hundreds of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances.  Even more die from CO produced by idling cars.  It is important to know the symptoms of CO poisoning:
At moderate levels you can get severe headaches, become dizzy, mentally confused, nauseated or faint.  Low levels can cause shortness of breath, mild nausea, mild headaches and may have longer-term effects on your health.  Since many of these symptoms are similar to those of flu, food poisoning or other ailments, you may not think that CO poisoning is the cause.

What To Do If You Think You Have Symptoms Of Co Poisoning:

  1. GET FRESH AIR IMMEDIATELY. Open doors and windows, turn off combustion appliances and LEAVE THE HOUSE.
  2. GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM and tell the physician you suspect CO poisoning. If CO poisoning has occurred, it can often be diagnosed by a blood test done soon after exposure.
  3. BE PREPARED to answer the following questions for the doctor:
  • Do your symptoms occur only in the house? Do they disappear or decrease when you leave home and reappear when you return?
  • Is anyone else in your household complaining of similar symptoms? Did everyone’s symptoms appear about the same time?
  • Are you using any fuel-burning appliances in the home?
  • Has anyone inspected your appliances lately? Are you certain they are working properly?
  • Do you have an installed, properly-functioning CO detector in your house?

Important Steps You Should Take to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Danger:
ALWAYS:

  • Always have your fuel-burning appliances — including oil and gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ranges and ovens, gas dryers, gas or kerosene space heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves — inspected by a trained professional at the beginning of every heating season.  Make certain that the flues and chimneys are connected, in good condition, and not blocked.
  • Always choose appliances that vent their fumes to the outside whenever possible, have them properly installed, and maintain them according to manufacturers’ instructions.  If you cannot avoid using an unvented gas or kerosene space heater, carefully follow the cautions that come with the device.  Use the proper fuel and keep doors to the rest of the house open.  Crack a window to make sure you have enough air for ventilation and proper fuel-burning.
  • Avoid doing anything that increases your risk of CO poisoning:


NEVER:

  • Never idle the car in a garage — even if the garage door to the outside is open.  Fumes can build up very quickly.
  • Never use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time.
  • Never use a charcoal grill indoors — even in a fireplace.
  • Never sleep in any room with an unvented gas or kerosene space heater.
  • Never use any gasoline-powered engines (mowers, weed trimmers, snow-blowers, chain saws, small engines or generators) in enclosed spaces.
  • Never ignore symptoms, particularly if more than one person is feeling them.  You could lose consciousness and die if you do nothing.

How to Choose and Use a Carbon Monoxide Detector:
Carbon Monoxide Detectors are widely available in stores and you should consider buying one as a back-up –BUT NOT AS A REPLACEMENT– for proper use and maintenance of your fuel-burning appliances. However, the technology of CO detectors is still developing and they are not generally considered to be as reliable as smoke detectors.  Some CO detectors have been laboratory-tested and their performance varied.  When a smoke detector goes off, you can easily confirm the cause of the alarm, but CO is invisible and odorless, so it’s harder to tell if an alarm is false or warns of a real emergency.  CO Detector Guidelines:

  • Don’t let buying a CO detector lull you into a false sense of security.  Preventing CO from becoming a problem in your home is better than relying on an alarm.
  • Research CO detector features instead of selecting solely by cost.  Non-governmental organizations such as Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), the American Gas Association and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) can help you make an informed decision. Look for UL certification on any detector you purchase.
  • Carefully follow manufacturers’ instructions for its placement, use and maintenance.

What to Do If the CO detector alarm goes off:

  • Make sure it is your CO detector and not your smoke detector.
  • Check to see if any member of the household is experiencing symptoms of poisoning.
  • If they are, get them out of the house immediately and seek medical attention. Tell the doctor that you suspect CO poisoning.
  • Even if no one is feeling symptoms, ventilate the home with fresh air, turn off all potential sources of CO — your oil or gas furnace, gas water heater, gas range and oven, gas dryer, gas or kerosene space heater and any vehicle or small engine.

For more information on how to reduce your risks from CO, call the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or see www.cpsc.gov . Another way to help keep your family safe in your home is to have a FREE Home Security Evaluation done by Nightwatch Protection, Inc.