Posts Tagged ‘Carbon Monoxide’

Each winter people are killed quickly and silently by carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide (often referred to with its chemical abbreviation CO) generally comes from a poorly vented heating device. It could be a kerosene heater, a gas heater, or even a hot water heater. Older people and those on limited income are often victims, as are those who are trying to save something on their electric bill. The problem is that people often assume that if there is a gas, that there will be some smell like there is with natural gas (which has a scent added to it for safety). They victims often just fall asleep and don’t wake up. Warnings by the manufacturer of the heating device may be non-existent or inadequate, or the venting may be inadequate. The best advice is to ventilate the heated space with fresh air -but when it’s cold that’s the last thing people think of doing. For a detailed fact sheet on carbon monoxide risks, click here.