There could be a killer lurking in your home – a killer you can’t see or hear. Odourless, tasteless, and invisible, carbon monoxide, or CO, is deadly. Sadly, many families go to bed never to wake up again.
Learning how to protect you and your loved ones is the goal of Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, running Nov. 1 to 7.
Because of CO’s stealthy nature and confusing symptoms, the best safety measure is to install detectors throughout your home.
If the alarm sounds and you or other occupants suffer from symptoms of CO poisoning, get everyone out of the home immediately. Then call 911 or your local emergency services number from outside the building.
CO alarms sound different than smoke alarms. Test both alarms monthly and make sure everyone in your home knows the difference between the two alarm sounds.
Know the difference between the CO alarm’s low-battery warning, end-of-life warning and an emergency alarm – consult the CO alarm manufacturer’s instructions.
CO detectors usually have a lifespan of five years before they need to be replaced. Some models can also detect smoke and average in price from $30 to $60. Most also come with expiry dates printed on the back.
On average, 22 Albertans die in a fire each year, but 25 die from carbon-monoxide poisoning. And, while experts estimate that up to 40 per cent of fire deaths can be prevented with smoke alarms, virtually all accidental CO deaths can be prevented with proper CO alarms.
The gas is produced when fuels such as propane, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil or wood do not burn completely in fuel-burning appliances and devices such as furnaces, fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves, barbecues, portable heaters and generators or vehicles.
The danger lies in when gas builds up in poorly ventilated places; basements and furnace rooms are common areas of the home.
Victims experience headaches, shortness of breath, or feelings similar to intoxication. Chest pains, tiredness and dizziness can follow, as well as poor thinking and hallucinations. Eventually, exposure can cause convulsions, coma and then death.
Between 2000 and 2009, there were 380 accidental deaths due to carbon-monoxide poisoning, according to Statistics Canada.
