17/02/2021
☠️Carbon Monoxide☠️
According to the CDC, Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death. When power outages occur, like most of Texas is currently experiencing, the use of alternative sources of power can cause CO to build-up and poison people and their pets inside trying to keep warm.
The CDC lists the most common symptoms of CO poisoning as: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. When exposed to high levels of CO loss of consciousness and death are possible!
CO is found in fumes produced by furnaces, stoves, lanterns, and gas ranges, or by burning charcoal and wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO.
FACTS:
* Every year, at least 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning.
* Approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. visit the emergency department each year due to accidental CO poisoning.
* Red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they pick up oxygen.
* When you inhale CO, your body replaces the oxygen in blood with CO.
* People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.
TIPS:
* Never use a gas range or oven to heat a home.
* Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.
* Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying debris can block ventilation lines.
If you don’t have a battery-powered CO detector, buy one!
Change the batteries every 6 months.
Stay safe and stay warm!
