Diligence with appliances cuts carbon monoxide risk

When it comes to carbon monoxide, what you can't see can hurt you.

A colorless, odorless, toxic gas produced by the incomplete combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, carbon monoxide can be present when appliances that burn gas, oil, kerosene or wood are in use. Electric appliances do not produce carbon monoxide.

Dangerous or deadly levels of gas are produced when these appliances — including room heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, fireplaces and water heaters — are not installed, maintained or used properly or when they are used in poorly ventilated areas.

In fact, injuries due to automobiles running in closed garages make up the largest number of carbon monoxide-related calls conducted by Metro Fire Department, district chief Charles Shannon says.

Almost 5,000 people are treated at U.S. hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning each year, though experts think the number of actual poisonings is much larger, because people mistake the symptoms — dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing — with a fever-less flu.

To complicate matters, poisoning can result with none or few of these symptoms. In these cases, an overexposed person or animal simply "falls asleep" and never regains consciousness. That's why carbon monoxide is called the silent, cold-weather killer.

Best defense is detectors - [www.transducertech.com or www.quantumfields.com - Pocket CO]

Luckily, preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is as easy as keeping all fuel-burning appliances in good working order and installing a detector. They are readily available at home goods stores and easy to install, Shannon says.

Additionally, the American Industrial Hygiene Association offers these safety tips:
• Properly install and maintain any carbon monoxide-producing appliances and keep up with inspections.

• Vent appliances according to manufacturer's instructions.

• Periodically hire a qualified technician to do preventive maintenance on central and room-heating appliances.

• Keep chimneys and flues free of blockages, corrosion and loose connections.

• Vented and unvented kerosene and gas space heaters should be cleaned and inspected regularly.

• Rooms where unvented gas or kerosene space heaters are used should be well-ventilated, with doors or windows open, especially at night.

• Don't turn on a vehicle in a closed garage, even to warm it up on a cold morning.

• Stay alert for conditions that may indicate carbon monoxide leakage: signs of rusting or water streaking on vents and chimneys; soot on internal or attic spaces; loose or disconnected vent/chimney connections; and debris or soot falling from chimneys, fireplaces or appliances.

• Install a carbon monoxide detector with an alarm near bedrooms and test weekly. Considered the best defense against poisoning, these devices sound off when they detect toxic concentrations