Tips On Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

NEW HAVEN — Carbon monoxide poisoning, the colorless, odorless gas that is produced when any fuel is incompletely burned, kills 200 people a year, and deaths are on the rise as people make their homes more air tight as a way to conserve energy. People are also at higher risk for poisoning when they hook new high-efficiency gas and oil furnaces up to existing flues, or when soot or animal nests obstruct their chimneys.

According to experts at Yale-New Haven Hospital, families should be especially aware in the wintertime of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, which often mimic winter ailments. These include flulike symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, and irregular breathing, as well as seasonal depression.

Susanne Johnson, advanced practice registered nurse and pediatric trauma coordinator for the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, provides these safety tips:

Check all fuel-burning appliances to make sure they are operating properly. Consumers should have their home heating systems (including chimneys and flues) inspected each year for proper operations and leakage.

Make sure that appliances have adequate ventilation. A supply of fresh air is important to help carry pollutants up the chimney, stovepipe, or flue, and is necessary for the complete combustion of any fuel.

Never use charcoal grills in an enclosed space such as a home, garage, vehicle, or tent, and never bring grills with live coals indoors after use. Never use charcoal grills as an indoor heat source.

Never us portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle, or tent.

Never use gas appliances such as ranges, ovens, or clothes dryers for heating your home.

Avoid using gasoline-powered tools and engines indoors. If the must be used indoors, ensure that adequate ventilation is available and place the engine unit to exhaust outdoors whenever possible.

Never leave a car running in an attached garage, even with the garage door open.

Purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors with labels showing they meet the requirements of the new Underwriters Laboratories, Inc voluntary standard.

Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and in every sleeping area. Test them once a month, replace the batteries at least once a year (unless the batteries are designed for longer life), and replace the alarms every ten years.