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MISCELLANEOUS NEWS ITEMS | |
CARBON MONOXIDE
THE “SILENT KILLER”
February 01, 2010
(REGIONAL) -- Carbon Monoxide (CO) is known as “the silent killer,” because you cannot see it, smell it or taste it. Carbon Monoxide claims the lives of nearly 300 people in their homes each year according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
CO is a deadly gas that is produced by fuel-burning heating equipment, such as furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene heaters. The office of the State Fire Marshall advises consumers to follow these guidelines to help keep the family safe.
To install a CO alarm:
CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area, on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards.
· For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.
Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
Call your local fire department’s non-emergency number to find out what number to call if the CO alarm sounds.
Test CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.
If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.
To keep your home safe from CO poisoning:
· Have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune-up your home’s central heating system and repair leaks or other problems. Fireplaces and woodstoves should also be inspected each year and cleaned or repaired as needed.
· Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced.
· Never use an oven or range to heat your home.
· Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage.
· A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
· Portable electric generators must be used outside only. Never use them indoors, in a garage or in any confined area that can allow CO to collect. Follow usage directions closely.
· If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
· During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
· Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.
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