Ten Tips to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning This Winter!

As the weather gets colder, people turn on their heating systems and mistakenly warm their cars in garages. Even when folks feel like there’s adequate ventilation, it’s important to take extra care to prevent Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. Exposure to carbon monoxide can result in permanent neurological damage or death, and anyone can be at risk.

An odorless, colorless gas that often goes undetected, Carbon Monoxide is produced by burning fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, portable generators or furnaces. When the gas builds up in enclosed spaces, people or animals who breathe it can be poisoned. Again, ventilation does not guarantee safety. In fact, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional Carbon Monoxide poisoning every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 others are hospitalized.

Carbon Monoxide detectors save lives, but less than one-third of American homes have one installed. With December and January at the peak of CO poisonings, here are ten simple tips to keep you protected:

1. The National Safety Council recommends you install a battery-operated Carbon Monoxide detector in your home near the bedrooms
2. Replace the battery for your home’s Carbon Monoxide detector each spring and fall
3. Do not heat your home with a gas range or oven
4. Never run a car or truck inside an attached garage
5. Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year
6. Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors
7. Never use a generator inside your home, basement or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door or vent; fatal levels of carbon monoxide can be produced in just minutes
8. Have your chimney checked and cleaned every year, and make sure your fireplace damper is open before lighting a fire and well after the fire is extinguished
9. Make sure your gas appliances are vented properly
10. Know the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning

All of us at Security Specialists Want You To Stay Safe This Winter!