LaSalle Fire Service - Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

LaSalle Ontario
Phone: 519-966-0744 Fax 519-966-9346

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are possible sources of CO. Because you can’t see, taste, or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it’s there. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of CO. However, consumers can protect themselves against CO poisoning by properly installing, using, venting, and maintaining their heating and cooking equipment; by installing CO alarms inside their homes; and by being cautious with vehicles or generators in attached garages.

Carbon Monoxide can’t be detected by sense of smell. However, the following symptoms may appear:

headaches, and tightness across the forehead and temples;
weariness, weakness, dizziness and vomiting;
loss of muscular control; watering and smarting of the eyes

If any of these symptoms should develop, get into the fresh air immediately. and contact your local Emergency Services.

CO is poisonous and can kill cells of the body. CO also replaces oxygen in the bloodstream, leading to suffocation. Mild effects feel like the flu, while severe effects include difficulty breathing and even death. Just how sick people get from CO exposure varies greatly from person to person, depending on age, overall health, concentration of exposure (measured in parts per million), and length of exposure. As with anything harmful that is inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed by the body, the severity of harm depends on the dose. The same dose of CO can be received through a long exposure to a low concentration or a brief exposure to a high concentration. Given time, the body will get rid of CO, unlike substances like lead or arsenic. Therefore, at the end of a long exposure to a low concentration, some of the initial CO may already have been expelled. That means that if the same amount of CO is received over a long period of time, its effect on the body may be less than if the same amount of CO had been received quickly, in high concentration. Table 1 shows typical symptoms, based on concentration and time of exposure.

Table 1 - Effects of Exposure to CO*
Concentration (parts per million)	Symptoms
50	Threshold limit value for no adverse effects even with 6-8 hours exposure
200	Possible mild headache after 2-3 hours
400	Headache and nausea after 1-2 hours
800	Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 45 minutes; collapse and possible unconsciousness after 2 hours
1,000	Loss of consciousness after 1 hour
1,600	Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 20 minutes
3,200	Headache and dizziness after 5-10 minutes; unconsciousness after 30 minutes
6,400	Headache and dizziness after 1-2 minutes; unconsciousness and danger of death after 10-15 minutes
12,800	Immediate physiological effects; unconsciousness and danger of death after 1-3 minutes
Source: James H. Meidl, Explosive and Toxic Hazardous Materials, Glencoe Press, 1970, Table 28, p. 293. * Just how sick people get from CO exposure varies greatly from person to person, depending on age, overall health, concentration of exposure (measured in parts per million), and length of exposure.

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your family:

Have your furnace and heating system inspected annually by a heating specialist;
Have your chimney and flue cleaned professionally;
Make sure burner flames on furnaces and stoves are blue, not yellow-orange;
Never run an automobile or gasoline engine in an enclosed space.

Potential Carbon Monoxide sources in the home are:

appliances that run on flammable fuel, refrigerators, clothes dryers, gas ranges, gas or kerosene heaters, gas or oil furnaces;
a leaking chimney pipe or flue, or a clogged chimney;
cracked heat exchanger on the furnace;
gas or wood burning fireplaces, wood stoves, charcoal grills;
corroded or disconnected water heater vent pipe;
operating a barbeque grill in an enclosed area such as the garage.

Everyone is at risk. Carbon Monoxide poisoning can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Experts believe that vulnerability to CO poisoning increases for unborn babies, infants, senior citizens, and people with coronary or respiratory problems. These people are considered to be at greatest risk.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends installing at least one Carbon Monoxide detector per household, near the sleeping area. A second detector located near the home’s heating source adds an extra measure of safety.

To choose a Carbon Monoxide detector, look for the seal of approval of safety organizations such as Underwriters Laboratories and major utility companies who have set exacting standards for approving CO detectors.