Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Key Safety Tips from the Garrett County Health Department

By Eli Reed, L.E.H.S., Environmental Health Specialist

The Environmental Health Office of the Garrett County Health Department would like to remind you that home heating appliances could be a source of poisonous carbon monoxide gas.

Carbon monoxide, or CO is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that can be fatal when inhaled. It is sometimes difficult to determine if carbon monoxide is the culprit because its symptoms are similar to the flu and allergies. Low levels can cause nausea, dizziness, weakness, and muscle aches. Higher doses can impair judgment, cause paralysis or coma, and potentially death. Carbon monoxide exposures especially affect unborn babies, infants, and people with anemia or a history of heart disease. According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, there are more than 250 carbon monoxide deaths every year associated with the use of combustion appliances in the home. Every year nearly 5,000 people in the United States are treated in hospital emergency rooms for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Any fuel-burning appliance in your home is a potential source of carbon monoxide. When appliances are kept in good working condition, they produce little carbon monoxide. Problems arise when fuel-burning appliances are inadequately maintained, improperly operated, or improperly vented.

Common sources of carbon monoxide include the following: gas, oil or wood-fueled appliances, furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces, coal stoves, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, water heaters, kerosene heaters, portable generators, and automobiles left running in closed garages.

Kerosene space heaters are of particular concern in our county since many residents use this type of auxiliary heat during power outages caused by adverse weather and winter storms. Kerosene heaters should be used with extreme caution; they are not meant to be a primary source of heat. Make sure these heaters are vented to the outdoors and are equipped with oxygen depletion sensors. If you must use a gas or kerosene heater in an emergency, keep doors open to adjacent rooms of the house and crack open a few windows. This allows enough air for proper combustion and reduces deadly carbon monoxide levels.

The most important way to reduce the risk from carbon monoxide is to keep all fuel-burning devices well-maintained and inspected for safety. Experts recommend having your fuel-burning systems inspected by a trained professional every year. Always operate a fuel-burning device for its intended purpose, make sure it has been installed correctly, and remember to vent these devices outdoors.

There are carbon monoxide detectors you can install in your home for continuous monitoring of dangerous CO levels. These devices are similar in appearance to smoke detectors and are powered by household electrical current or self-contained batteries. They are available at most hardware or department stores, averaging in price from $20.00 to $40.00.

Most local fire departments can test carbon monoxide if you suspect that there is a potentially dangerous amount of CO present in your home. The Environmental Health office can direct you to the appropriate fire department if you are interested in having your home tested.

For more information concerning carbon monoxide safety tips or other indoor air quality concerns, please call Environmental Health at 301-334-7760.