Kingsport Fire Department: Carbon Monoxide (CO) incident raises awareness of dangers

KINGSPORT – An incident at a local business today attributed to Carbon Monoxide (CO) possibly from a natural gas operated paint booth sent one person to the hospital and killed a pet.

Any business or home that uses gas appliances should have a CO detector. CO is a colorless and odorless gas that in small quantities in the air can quickly cause headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, confusion and death. Every year, nearly 500 people die in the U. S. from accidental CO poisoning. Check or change the batteries in your CO detector every six months. If you don’t have a battery-powered or battery back-up CO detector, buy one soon.

CO is found in fumes produced by portable generators, stoves, lanterns, and gas ranges, gas fueled equipment or by burning charcoal and wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO.

How to Recognize CO Poisoning

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.

CARBON MONOXIDE DANGER LEVELS

CO concentration (parts per million) in breathable air.

Concentration	Symptoms
35 ppm (0.0035%)	Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
100 ppm (0.01%)	Slight headache in two to three hours
200 ppm (0.02%)	Slight headache within two to three hours; loss of judgment
400 ppm (0.04%)	Frontal headache within one to two hours
800 ppm (0.08%)	Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 min; insensible within 2 hours
1,600 ppm (0.16%)	Headache, tachycardia, dizziness, and nausea within 20 min; death in less than 2 hours
3,200 ppm (0.32%)	Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
6,400 ppm (0.64%)	Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Convulsions, respiratory arrest, and death in less than 20 minutes.
12,800 ppm (1.28%)	Unconsciousness after 2-3 breaths. Death in less than three minutes.

CO Safety Tips

• If you have gas appliances you should have a CO Detector
• Never use a gas range or oven to heat a home.
• Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.
• Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying debris can block ventilation lines.
• Never run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine less than 20 feet from an open window, door, or vent where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.
• Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper.
• If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter.
• If CO poisoning is suspected, consult a health care professional right away.

CO poisoning is entirely preventable. You can protect yourself and your family by acting wisely, learning the symptoms of CO poisoning.

Information and Statistics provided by www.cdc.gov/co.