KDHE offers winter protection tips for home heating devices
Frigid temperatures on the horizon mean a time to bundle up and stay warm, but they can also mean potential dangers, including the risk of poisoning or death from carbon monoxide.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment offers several precautions local residents can take to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning during severe winter weather, when there is an increased risk for poisoning or death from the dangerous gas.
Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, toxic flammable gas formed by incomplete combustion of carbon, can be fatal if people are exposed to high levels of the gas, even for a brief period of time. People who use indoor gas heaters and fireplaces need to be extremely cautious, verify that there is a direct exhaust venting to the outside of the house, and regularly check and maintain fuel-burning appliances. Residents should also check themselves and their loved ones regularly for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the KDHE.
Generators and petroleum fuel-burning engines or appliances are often used during power outages. The poisonous carbon monoxide gas is found in combustion fumes produced by burning fuels such as gasoline, natural gas, kerosene, charcoal and wood. In the home, carbon monoxide can come from a gas-fueled furnace, gas water heater, gas clothes dryer, gas ranges, kerosene space heaters, portable generators, gas or charcoal grills, fireplaces or wood stoves. The gas cannot be seen or smelled and can kill in minutes.
KDHE provides the following tips that people can use to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning:
* Never run a generator or any petroleum-fueled (kerosene, gasoline) engine or appliance 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 or any gasoline-powered engine outside an open window, door or event where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.
Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause loss of consciousness and even death. The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from carbon monoxide poisoning before ever experiencing any symptoms, according to the KDHE.
Anyone who suspects symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning should go outside and seek fresh air immediately. If a person has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911 immediately from a safe location for emergency medical assistance.