Did You Know...
- Carbon monoxide (CO) is often called the "Invisible Killer" because it's a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas.
- Improperly used or incorrectly vented fuel burning appliances, such as furnaces, stoves, water heaters, generators and fireplaces, emit CO gases.
- Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.
- An average of 430 people in the Unites States die every year from accidental, non-fire related CO poisoning.
- Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, people may not know they are being exposed.
- A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.
- Initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are flu-like.
Top Safety Tips
- Home heating systems should be inspected and serviced annually by a trained service technician.
- Never use portable generators inside homes or garages, even if doors and windows are open.
- Use generators outside only, far away from the home.
- Never bring a charcoal grill into the house or garage for heating or cooking.
- Never use a gas range or oven for heating.
- An open fireplace damper may help prevent build-up of poisonous gases inside the home.
- Know the symptoms of CO poisoning: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness.
- High level, CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, which include: mental confusion, vomiting, loss of muscular coordination, loss of consciousness, and death.
This page was last modified on 05/24/2022