Who is at risk?
gency number for medical attention or assistance. You may be exposed to harmful levels of CO in boiler rooms, brew- • Administer 100-percent oxygen using a tight-fitting mask if the eries, warehouses, petroleum refinervictim is breathing. ies, pulp and paper production, and steel production; around docks, blast • Administer cardiopulmonary refurnaces, or coke ovens; or in one of suscitation if the victim has the following occupations: stopped breathing. Welder Warning: You may be exposed to fatal Garage mechanic levels of CO poisoning in a rescue atFirefighter tempt. Rescuers should be skilled at Carbon-black maker performing recovery operations and Organic chemical synthesizer using recovery equipment. Employers Longshore worker should make sure that rescuers are not Diesel engine operator exposed to dangerous CO levels when Forklift operator performing rescue operations. Marine terminal worker OSHA has various publicaToll booth or tunnel attendant tions, standards, technical assistance, Customs inspector and compliance tools to help you, and Police officer offers extensive assistance through Taxi driver workplace consultation, voluntary protection programs, grants, strategic partIf you suspect someone has nerships, state plans, training, and education. been poisoned: For one free copy of OSHA When you suspect CO poisoning, publications, send a self-addressed promptly taking the following actions mailing label to OSHA Publications can save lives: Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, • Move the victim immediately to DC 20013-7535; send a request to fax fresh air in an open area. at (202) 693-2498, or call (202) 693• Call 911 or another local emer1888.
What is Carbon Monoxide? Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases that do have an odor. So, you can inhale carbon monoxide right along with gases that you can smell and not even know that CO is present. CO is a common industrial hazard resulting from the incomplete burning of natural gas and any other material containing carbon such as gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal, or wood. Forges, blast furnaces and coke ovens produce CO, but one of the most common sources of exposure in the workplace is the internal combustion engine.
How does CO harm you?
Carbon monoxide is harmful when breathed because it displaces oxygen in the blood and deprives the heart, brain, and other vital organs of oxygen. Large amounts of CO can overcome you in minutes without warning—causing you to lose con-
sciousness and suffocate. Besides tightness across the chest, initial symptoms of CO poisoning may include headache, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, or nausea. Sudden chest pain may occur in people with angina. During prolonged or high exposures, symptoms may worsen and include vomiting, confusion, and collapse in addition to loss of consciousness and muscle weakness. Symptoms vary widely from person to person. CO poisoning may occur sooner in those most susceptible: young children, elderly people, people with lung or heart disease, people at high altitudes, or those who already have elevated CO blood levels, such as smokers. Also, CO poisoning poses a special risk to fetuses. CO poisoning can be reversed if caught in time. But even if you recover, acute poisoning may result in permanent damage to the parts of your body that require a lot of oxygen such as the heart and brain. Significant reproductive risk is also linked to CO.
Great gift idea! For anyone you love, holidays, weddings, etc. How about a carbon monoxide tester?
Problem Sources of Carbon Monoxide Furnaces are frequently the source of leaks and should be carefully inspected. Have a professional check the following: • Measure the concentration of CO in the flue gases. • Check furnace connections to flue pipes and venting systems to outside of the home for signs of corrosion, rust, gaps, or holes. • Check furnace filters and filtering systems for dirt or blockages. • Check forced air fans for proper installation and correct air flow of flue gases. Improper furnace blower installation can result in carbon monoxide build-up because toxic gas is blown into rather than out of the house. • Check the combustion chamber and internal heat exchanger for cracks, metal fatigue or corrosion--be sure they are clean and free of debris. • Check burners and ignition system. A flame that is mostly yellow in color in natural gas-fired furnaces is often a sign fuel is not burning completely and higher levels of
KEWAUNEE COUNTY UWEX Kewaunee Co. Admin. Ctr. 810 Lincoln St. Kewaunee WI 54216
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Information on this page compiled from Iowa State University Extension and U.S Dept. of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 2002 Fact Sheet
carbon monoxide are being released. Oil furnaces with similar problems can give off an "oily" odor. Remember, you can't smell carbon monoxide. Check all venting systems to the outside, including flues and chimneys, for proper design and installation, cracks, corrosion, holes, debris, or blockages. Animals and birds can build nests in chimneys, preventing gases from escaping. Check all other appliances that use flammable fuels such as natural gas, oil, wood, or kerosene. Appliances include water heaters, clothes dryers, kitchen ranges, ovens or cooktops, wood burning stoves, gas refrigerators. Pilot lights can be a source of carbon monoxide because the byproducts of combustion are released inside the home rather than vented to the outside. Gas ovens and ranges should be monitored closely. Be sure space heaters are vented properly. Unvented space heaters that use a flammable fuel such as kerosene can release carbon mon-
oxide into the home. Barbecue grills should never be operated indoors, nor should stove tops or ovens that operate on flammable fuels ever be used to heat a residence. • Check fireplaces for closed, blocked or bent flues, soot, and debris. • Check the clothes dryer vent opening outside the house for lint. If initial testing does not confirm the presence of carbon monoxide, there may be several reasons. Some detection devices only measure concentrations of 1,000 parts per million and higher, significantly above safe levels. Testing equipment should be capable of sensing levels as low as one part per million. If doors or windows are left open or appliances are turned off and outside air enters the home, carbon monoxide can dissipate. This creates a lower reading than the level that triggered the alarm. To help assure proper measurement, carbon monoxide readings should be conducted as soon as possible after an alarm incident. If appli-
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ances, flues and chimneys are confirmed to be in good working order, the source of carbon monoxide leaks may be from backdrafting. This condition exists primarily in tightly sealed/constructed homes. Flue gases normally vent to the outside through flues and chimneys. Air pressure inside a tightly sealed home may become lower than outside, causing outside air to flow into the house through vents and chimneys. Inadequate air supply in a room where two or more combustion-driven appliances share the same air source, such as a water heater and furnace in a utility closet, can create a more complicated form of backdrafting called reverse stacking. This occurs when one appliance, such as the furnace, turns on and is unable to get adequate fresh air. When the furnace operates, it then draws contaminated air from the water heater exhaust and spreads polluted air throughout the house. Note: Because carbon monoxide accumulates in some detectors over time, as it does in the bloodstream, the source of CO may be appliances that were running before the alarm sounded.
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