Carbon Monoxide is dangerous! CO How much is too much? These levels should What can I do to protect myself and my poisoning from the use of fuel burning appliances kills be referenced to the effects on healthy people. Health family? Use non-electrical space heaters only in at least 200 people each year and sends more than effects can vary significantly based on age, sex, weight well ventilated areas. Don’t start or leave running 5,000 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment. and overall state of health. cars, trucks, or other vehicles in an enclosed area. Others die from CO produced while burning charcoal 12,000 ppm Death within 1 – 3 minutes Every home, building or recreational device should inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent. Still others die 6400 ppm Headache, dizziness and nausea within 1-2 have at least one carbon monoxide detector accurate from CO produced by cars unintentionally left running in minutes. Thinking impaired before response enough to protect all. Have your furnace and other attached garages. possible. Death within 10-15 minutes. fuel burning appliances cleaned and inspected by a 3200 ppm Headache, dizziness and nausea within 5-20 qualified professional once a year or before each minutes. Quickly impaired thinking. Death What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon heating season. Make sure your service professional monoxide (CO) is an odorless and colorless gas which within 30 minutes. 1600 ppm Headache, dizziness and nausea within 20 tests each appliance using a testing instrument that could be created whenever a fuel (such as wood, minutes. Death within 1 hour can detect carbon monoxide. Don’t wait until gasoline, coal, natural gas, kerosene, etc.) is burning. 800 ppm Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 symptoms occur! BE SAFE! minutes. Unconsciousness within 2 hours. You may be exposed when: You leave your Death within 2 hours. What to do if you suspect Carbon car, truck or van running. You burn charcoal, alcohol 400 ppm Frontal headaches within 1-2 hours. Life or gasoline in an enclosed tent, camper or room. You threatening within 3 hours. Monoxide is present in your home: smoke a cigar, cigarette or pipe. Your home contains 200 ppm Slight headache, tiredness, dizziness or nausea CALL - If your detector alarm sounds and you are after 2-3 hours. Might be life threatening in long a malfunctioning or incorrectly vented hot water heater, exposures. experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide furnace, space heater, fireplace or stove. 75 ppm Significant decrease in oxygen reserve available poisoning, leave your home immediately and call to the heart muscle. your local emergency services number or 911 if it is How does Carbon Monoxide harm you? 50 ppm Maximum level for continuous exposure in an 8 available in your area. Quite simply, carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from hour workday. Health alert for vulnerable being used by your body. Carbon monoxide is poisonous populations. CHECK - If your detector alarm sounds and no one and can harm your central nervous system. 10–35 ppm Marginal - Small children, elderly and those has symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: First suffering respiratory or heart problems check the detector, push the reset button or the Everyone is at risk of being cautioned. Prolonged exposure may cause “Peak” reading button. Get fresh air to the building, Who is at risk? drowsiness. poisoned by carbon monoxide. However, individuals 9 ppm The concentration often found on busy city and check for sources of carbon monoxide. Turn off with existing health problems such as heart and lung streets any suspicious or obviously malfunctioning disease and the elderly are especially vulnerable. 1 – 9 ppm Any increase of CO from outside warrants further appliances or other sources of combustion. Levels Infants, children and pregnant women are also at risk. investigation though may not be an immediate of CO higher than those measured outside warrants health risk further investigation, though may not be an What are the symptoms of carbon ppm = parts per million molecules of air. immediate health risk. Contact a certified service monoxide poisoning? Carbon monoxide (CO) Take These Precautions - Make a list of or repair company who can test for CO with proper test instruments. poisoning mimics many common illnesses, such as the combustion systems you may have in your home, ALWAYS - If you think you have symptoms of carbon flu and food poisoning. Common symptoms associated building, recreational dwelling or device (even boats monoxide poisoning and you do not have a with carbon monoxide poisoning include: with gasoline engines). This list would include auto detector, leave your home, and call your emergency headaches loss of hearing influences where garages, car ports and other services number or 911 immediately! dizziness blurry vision building components are in use. Be aware that CO BE SAFE! IF YOU DON’T TEST, YOU DON’T KNOW. weakness vomiting may be a greater risk in these settings. How much CO nausea disorientation is inside your car when you are in it? Have a certified rapid heartbeat seizures technician with calibrated test instrumentation loss of consciousness coma document the performance of your furnace, water cardiac arrest respiratory failure heater, fireplace, barbeque and whatever else may be This list is not meant to serve as a diagnosis of carbon in side or close to inside buildings. Utilize a CO monoxide poisoning, but it is meant to provide alarming device with a sensor capable of protecting information on carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. people to the maximum technology. It is not CO detectors & properly maintained Always check with your doctor. recommended to use marginally accurate CO alarms. combustion appliances can save lives! Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors can help alert you to Long term exposure - Health effects are related to the level of carbon monoxide concentration and increased levels of carbon monoxide in your home, but length of exposure. New studies indicate that chronic, they are not foolproof! CALL A PROFESSIONAL! low level exposure can have serious health consequences.