Image credit: CDC OSHA Sheet
During the weekend a NY restaurant manager quickly succumbed to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and 28 others were taken from the restaurant and treated for symptoms. The CO leak was serious enough that first responders felt lightheaded when entering the building.
A few days later, a tragedy-in-the-making was narrowly averted in a timeshare resort in Ogunquit Maine, where 21 people were poisoned by CO. You can read the terrifying story of a couple from Connecticut who poisoned and nearly succumbed. They experienced flu symptoms and lethargy. After the man fainted and broke his nose, they left their room to go to a drug store. On the way, they told the manager of the receipt of their symptoms. His 9-1-1 wise call probably saved 21 lives.
And now we hear that a family of four Idaho probably died of CO poisoning.
These experiences highlight the importance of working CO detectors in both homes and public buildings. Each year, an estimated 400+ people die from carbon monoxide poisoning and thousands more are treated in hospitals. Often called the "silent killer," CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can leak when the fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, water heaters and malfunctioning generators. It can also rapidly accumulate when cars, grills, lawn mowers and other fuel machines are used in confined spaces.
If you do not, here's a guide to how consumers purchase a carbon monoxide detector. Here are the state laws regarding carbon monoxide detectors
Here are some tips from the Department of Health of New York :.
- If you think you or someone else has CO poisoning, seek fresh air immediately and call 911. annual maintenance
- of Annex on home heating systems, including furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces and other heat sources such as non-electric water heater, to ensure they are properly vented and maintained.
- Install battery CO detectors in your home. Check them twice a year to ensure that the batteries are working properly. Checking CO alarms when the clocks are set to the summer time savings is a useful way to remember.
- Operate portable generators outside and under the buildings of wind. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a distance of at least 25 feet from the house.
- Never use equipment or fuel powered tools in a garage, basement or other enclosed space.
- Never use a gas range or oven to heat.
- Never use a gas grill or charcoal grill in your home or other enclosed space.
- Ensure that non-electric heating appliances are properly installed and ventilated, and they are regularly inspected and maintained.
- Never run a car or truck inside a garage or any structure, even with the door open.
- Know where engine and generator exhaust boat outlets are located. Keep away from these areas if the vessel is idle.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Source
Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, the people do not know they are exposed. The first symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Nausea
- Vertigo
the high-level CO poisoning symptoms in more severe, including:
- confusion
- Vomiting
- Loss of muscle coordination
- Loss of consciousness
- ultimately death
- state laws
Resources
Carbon monoxide Safety Association
information and CDC fact sheets and FAQs
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