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Marsha Giesler, D.G.F.D.
If you haven’t heard about it yet, a new Illinois law went into effect on January 1, 2007. The Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act requires homes and apartments to have an approved, operating carbon monoxide detector installed within 15 feet of any sleeping area. Details of this mandate can be found by logging on to the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s website at www.state.il.us/osfm . In the meantime, January is always a good month to remind people about just how dangerous carbon monoxide poisoning can be, and why fire departments strongly advocate installing units in your homes. We see an increase in calls every year as cold weather descends upon us and people close up their homes and begin to use their furnaces. According to the National Safety Council, 200-300 unintentional-injury/deaths occur each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, and non-irritating gas. CO forms when fuel is burned without sufficient oxygen in common household appliances such as gas or oil furnaces, water heaters, space heaters and clothes dryers. Barbecue grills, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, gas ovens and car exhaust fumes entering a home from an attached garage are also potential sources of CO in the home. When CO is breathed in by an individual, it forms a toxic compound in the bloodstream. . Carbon monoxide attaches itself to hemoglobin and displaces the oxygen that the body organs need.
Symptoms can include headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, coughing and irregular breathing and heartbeat. Depending on the amount inhaled, this gas can impede coordination, cause weakness, confusion, and disorientation. Victims may appear pale, but then develop a cherry red color on lips and ear tips. By the time a victim is manifesting the cherry red skin color, the condition is already very serious. Symptoms of severe CO poisoning also include vomiting and loss of consciousness. Very high levels can cause death.
The ‘flu-like’ symptoms are often mistaken for a real case of the flu and can result in delayed treatment. When experienced in conjunction with the sound of a CO alarm, these symptoms could indicate a potentially serious buildup of carbon monoxide. Be suspicious of CO poisoning if several people in your household are experiencing the same symptoms – especially if pets also have symptoms, because animals cannot get the flu.
Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning, but the following populations are at an even greater risk: unborn babies, infants, pregnant women, children, senior citizens, heavy smokers, and individuals with above normal oxygen requirements (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease).
According to the National Safely Council, take the following actions:
Purchase a carbon monoxide detector that has been approved by the Underwriters Laboratories, to meet Standard 2034.
Place a detector as near as possible to bedrooms since you are most vulnerable to CO poisoning while sleeping. If your bedrooms are in different parts of the house, place separate detectors near each bedroom area. Do not place one near your kitchen, garage or near a furnace. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for more information regarding placement, operation and maintenance.
If your CO detector goes off and you are not ill, push the reset button to
verify the presence of CO. If the alarm goes off again after five minutes, leave
the house and call 9-1-1.