CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) POISONING
More than 900 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning (or carboxyhaemoglobin poisoning) have been identified in Southwestern Quebec since the beginning of the ice storm. Carbon monoxide kills because it inhibits the ability of the body to use oxygen. Death can result without the person ever noticing any prior symptoms. However, some people may experience one or more of the following warning signs:
- fatigue
- dizziness
- headache
- nausea
- irregular breathing
- cherry red skin colour (sometimes mistaken as a "warm, rosy glow" from the heat of the fire).
If carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected or if a CO detector sounds an alarm, immediately open windows and doors for ventilation. If anyone is experiencing any of the above symptoms, call the fire department and request medical assistance. If no one is experiencing any symptoms, turn off the fuel-burning appliance or device and continue to ventilate. Do not operate again until the source of the problem has been identified.
Minimize the risk by following these precautions:
Do not burn anything other than candles in your home without providing adequate ventilation to the outside.
All combustion appliances or other devices which burn fuel produce carbon monoxide (CO). This includes fireplaces, wood or coal stoves, gas ovens, generators, heaters, charcoal grills, camping stoves and lanterns, furnaces and cars. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, toxic gas which will accumulate in a building or enclosed area unless combustion devices are properly installed and ventilated directly to the outside through a flue, pipe or chimney.
In addition to being ventilated directly to the outside, combustion devices must also have an adequate source of outside air to feed the fire and to avoid depleting the oxygen in the room. Cross ventilate by opening a window at least one inch (2.5 cm) on each side of the room. Do this even when using fireplaces, wood stoves or catalytic heaters.
Do not let everyone go to sleep at night with the fireplace still going. You might not wake up. Either one person should stay awake to watch the fire and make sure that ventilation is adequate or the fire should be put out for the night. This is a good idea anyway since many fireplaces and stoves were not designed for continuous use and operating them 24 hours a day may cause a fire to begin inside the walls. Do not leave a fire unattended, especially at night. Open the damper when the fireplace is in use. Remember to close the damper when the fire is extinguished in order to conserve heat.
Do not use a gas oven for heating. Do not use camping lanterns inside buildings.
Do not operate a generator or warm up an automobile in a garage attached to the house (not even with the garage door wide open), near windows or near fresh air intakes. If possible, place a generator downwind from the house.
CC Austin, PhD
© 1998 SAREC - All rights
reserved (Updated 98/01/22) http://www.sarec.ca/ice
Contact CC Austin, PhD, to obtain special
permission to freely reproduce and distribute this safety
bulletin during the current ice storm disaster.
This copyright notice must be included with
all reproductions of this safety bulletin. Telephone: (514) 989-3720 Email:
caustin@sarec.ca
