CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING PROTECTION

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING PROTECTION

With the rising costs of heating fuel many parents have chosen alternate methods to heat their home during the winter. It is important to keep in mind that on the average approximately 500 people in the United States die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year. To protect your family, you can take the following simple precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Have your chimney flue professionally cleaned every year.

• Make sure gas appliances are properly installed and vented.

• Gas water heaters, gas stoves, and gas clothes dryers should be checked professionally once a year or as recommended by manufacturer.

• Clean out snow around your home’s power vents, and your car’s tailpipe.

• Use a carbon monoxide detector with a battery backup. That way, the detector will work even during a power outage.

• Never use your stove or oven as a means for heating your home.

• Never use a generator inside your house or garage during power outages.

• Never warm up your car in an enclosed garage.

• Don’t ignore symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: chest pain, confusion, dizziness, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

• Have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each floor.

If your carbon dioxide detector goes off, take your family out of the house immediately. Call 911. If you wait in your car, make sure it is parked outside.