Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas that is very difficult for people to detect as it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common cause of injury and death due to poisoning worldwide, and occurs after the inhalation of enough CO gas. Poisoning is typically more common during the winter months and during power outages due to the increased use of gas furnaces, gas or kerosene space heaters, and kitchen stoves, which if faulty and/or used without adequate ventilation, may produce excessive carbon monoxide. According to the CDC, more than 40,000 people per year seek medical attention for carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States, and approximately 200 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with home fuel-burning heating equipment.
Public education on the safe operation of appliances, heaters, fireplaces, and internal-combustion engines, as well as increased emphasis on the installation of carbon monoxide detectors are essential in preventing carbon monoxide poisonings. According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), “carbon monoxide detectors are as important to home safety as smoke detectors are.”
Read tips for Carbon Monoxide Safety and the rest of this Speaking of Safety blog post here.
This post appears in “Speaking of Safety blog,” a two-way communication tool created to increase communication among LLUH safety coordinators and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety.