Contents
Carbon Monoxide Can
Be Deadly
CO Poisoning Symptoms
Play it Safe
Prevention
is the Key to Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
A Few Words About CO
Detectors
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. If appliances that burn fuel are maintained
and used properly, the amount of CO produced is usually not
hazardous. However, if appliances are not working properly or are
used incorrectly, dangerous levels of CO can result. 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. Fetuses, infants,
elderly people, and people with anemia or with a history of heart
or respiratory disease can be especially susceptible. Be safe.
Practice the DO’s and DON’Ts of carbon monoxide.
Know the symptoms of CO poisoning. At moderate
levels, you or your family can get severe headaches, become dizzy,
mentally confused, nauseated, or faint. You can even die if these
levels persist for a long time. Low levels can cause shortness of
breath, mild nausea, and mild headaches, and may have longer term
effects on your health. Since many of these symptoms are similar
to those of the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses, you may
not think that CO poisoning could be the cause.
If you experience symptoms that you think could be
from CO poisoning:
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DO GET FRESH
AIR IMMEDIATELY. Open doors and windows, turn off
combustion appliances and leave the house. |
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DO 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. |
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DO 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?
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Prevention
is the Key to Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
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DO 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. |
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DO choose
appliances that vent their fumes to the outside whenever
possible, have them properly installed, and maintain them
according to manufacturers’ instructions. |
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DO read and
follow all of the instructions that accompany any
fuel-burning device. 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 ensure enough air for ventilation and proper
fuel-burning. |
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DO call
EPA’s IAQ INFO Clearinghouse (1-800-438-4318) or
the Consumer Product Safety Commission (1-800-638-2772)
for more information on how to reduce your risks from CO
and other combustion gases and particles. |
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DON’T
idle the car in a garage -- even if the garage door to the
outside is open. Fumes can build up very quickly in the
garage and living area of your home. |
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DON’T use
a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time. |
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DON’T ever
use a charcoal grill indoors -- even in a fireplace. |
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DON'T sleep
in any room with an unvented gas or kerosene space heater. |
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DON’T use
any gasoline-powered engines (mowers, weed trimmers, snow
blowers, chain saws, small engines or generators) in
enclosed spaces. |
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DON’T
ignore symptoms, particularly if more than one person is
feeling them. You could lose consciousness and die if you
do nothing. |
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Carbon Monoxide Detectors
are widely available in stores and you may want to
consider buying one as a back-up --BUT NOT AS A
REPLACEMENT for proper use and maintenance of your
fuel-burning appliances. However, it is important for you
to know that the technology of CO detectors is still
developing, that there are several types on the market,
and that they are not generally considered to be as
reliable as the smoke detectors found in homes today. Some
CO detectors have been laboratory-tested, and their
performance varied. Some performed well, others failed to
alarm even at very high CO levels, and still others
alarmed even at very low levels that don’t pose any
immediate health risk. And unlike a smoke detector, where
you can easily confirm the cause of the alarm, CO is
invisible and odorless, so it’s harder to tell if an
alarm is false or a real emergency.
So What’s a Consumer to Do?
First, 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.
Follow the checklist of DOs and DON’Ts.
Second, if you shop for a CO detector, do some research
on features and don’t select solely on the basis of
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.
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.
- 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.
- Have a qualified technician inspect your
fuel-burning appliances and chimneys to make sure they
are operating correctly and that there is nothing
blocking the fumes from being vented out of the house.
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