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OSFM »   Community Risk Reduction »   Fire Prevention & Education »   Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide

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.
     

Carbon Monoxide Safety Resources

  • CPSC - Consumer Product Safety Commission
  • CDC - Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
  • NFPA - National Fire Protection Association
  • NSC - National Safety Council
  • Kidde

This page was last modified on 05/24/2022

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https://www.ncosfm.gov/community-risk-reduction/fire-prevention-education/carbon-monoxide