COMMUNITY NEWS
December 16-22, 2021
26
PG&E Offers Safety Tips for Customers on Home Heating and Carbon Monoxide
Silence isn’t always golden, especially when it comes to carbon monoxide poisoning SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Cold winter weather has arrived in California and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) urges customers to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide. Every year, approximately 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and approximately 50,000 people visit the emergency room. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels and wood. In general, properly installed and maintained natural gas appliances produce very little to no carbon monoxide. However, if unsafe concentrations of carbon monoxide are not detected, the result can be fatal. PG&E reminds customers to make sure their natural gas furnaces and appliances are in working order. Customers should inspect the flame on gas appliances. A blue flame indicates complete combustion and that
the appliance is working properly. A lazy, yellow or white flame is a warning sign that the appliance is not burning properly and could be producing carbon monoxide. If customers suspect a problem with a natural gas appliance in their home, they should call PG&E immediately at 1-800-743-5000. A gas service representative will be dispatched to do a thorough inspection. To help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, PG&E offers the following safety tips: • Install a carbon monoxide detector, which will warn you when concentrations become dangerously high. California law requires owners of all single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide detectors within the home. Owners of multi-family dwellings must comply by Jan. 1, 2013. • Place detectors near sleeping areas, where they can wake you if you are asleep. • Never use prod-
ucts inside the home that generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators, barbecues, propane heaters and charcoal. • When using the fireplace to stay warm, make sure the flue is open so that the byproducts of combustion can vent safely through the chimney. • Ensure that generators are properly installed and operated outdoors. For more generator safety tips, visit www.pge.com/generator. • Do not idle cars inside the garage, and do not allow snow to block tailpipe emissions when operating a vehicle outdoors. • Make sure water heaters and other natural gas appliances have proper ventilation. Older appliances and room heaters that are not vented externally should be inspected annually. • As part of customers’ gas service, PG&E representatives are available to inspect gas appliances and make sure they are working safely. To schedule an inspection, customers can
visit the “My Energy” feature at www. pge.com or call 1-800-743-5000. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and convulsions. Because carbon monoxide is hard to detect, someone with mild poisoning can go to sleep and continue to breathe the carbon monoxide until severe illness or death occurs. People may also mistake their symptoms for a viral infection like the flu. For more ways to stay safe this holiday season, visit www. pge.com/safety. About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge. com/news.
We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign:
Four Ways to Have a Festive and Safe Holiday Season COVID-19 vaccine, boosters are free to everyone living in the U.S. They are readily available both by apEntering the second holiday seapointments and walk-in visits, and no son of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all eager to reconnect with family insurance or identification is required to receive your booster shot. Learn and friends and return to treasured holiday traditions. Some simple steps more at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. In addition to getting vaccinated can keep family and friends healthy and/or boosted, people can take these through their fall and winter celebrasteps to ensure they safely enjoy famtions. ily, friends, and special connections As generations gather to celebrate, they may have missed recently, even the best way to avoid spreading COas people from different households VID-19, including to grandparents, and different parts of the country young children, and others who may gather. be vulnerable, is to make sure everyone who is eligible gets vaccinated Assess travel plans. Consider against COVID-19. Children 5-11 are delaying travel until you’re fully vacthe most recent group eligible for a cinated. Remember, masks that cover COVID-19 vaccine. your nose and mouth are required for Booster shots are also now availeveryone on planes, buses, trains, and able to all vaccinated adults 18 and other public transportation. If you’re older. Get your booster at least six unvaccinated, plan to get tested one months after your second dose of the to three days before your trip within Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two the United States and three to five months after your single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You may days after you return. Plan to selfquarantine for seven days, even if choose any of these three COVID the test is negative. If you travel by vaccines to receive as your booster, since your booster shot doesn’t have car, be aware that you and your travel companions could be exposed to to be the same vaccine you received the virus on stops for gas, food, and before. bathroom breaks. Remember to wear Like the initial dose(s) of the By: Staff Writer
a mask, wash your hands frequently, and maintain social distancing at these locations. If travelling internationally, especially to locations where vaccination rates are low and COVID-19 is spreading, visit the CDC’s website for recommendations on international travel. Get tested. If you’ve been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, or if you’re not feeling well before the holidays, especially if you have COVID-19 symptoms, get tested. Tests are widely available at pharmacies and doctors’ offices. Getting tested can provide security, knowing that you won’t infect your friends and relatives, and everyone can enjoy a stress-free holiday. If in doubt, consider joining festivities virtually and enjoy the fun, while staying safe! Pay attention to ventilation. When celebrating with your families, try to avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces. Consider moving celebrations outdoors, especially if you are planning a large get-together. Have a cookout or roast marshmallows! If you attend family festivities indoors where some guests may not be vaccinated, wear a well-fitting mask over
your nose and mouth, remembering that you should never put a mask on a child under the age of 2. The CDC also recommends mask wearing in public indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. Consider your health status. If you or someone in your household has a health condition or someone is taking medications that weaken the immune system, you should take extra precautions, even if you are fully vaccinated. The CDC recommends that those with weakened immune systems follow similar guidelines for unvaccinated people, like mask wearing and social distancing. The winter holidays are a time to reconnect and celebrate with people we care about. There are many ways to make this year’s festivities a time to remember. Following these safety measures can allow you to gather together and practice traditions that make the holidays so special. Safe practices are key and the most effective way to ensure a joyful holiday is to get vaccinated. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov.
