When power is lost due to severe weather,
many people rely on alternate heat and electricity sources, some of which can
prove hazardous, even fatal, if used inappropriately.
The Oregon Poison Center at Oregon Health
& Science University would like to help educate the public on how to avoid
one of the hazards of using alternate heat sources indoors: carbon monoxide
(CO) poisoning.
CO ‑ an odorless, colorless gas ‑ can
cause sudden illness or even death when inhaled. During power outages, which
occur predictably after winter storms, use of alternate fuel sources for
heating, or cooking can cause CO build-up in a home, garage or camper and
poison people and animals inside.
To avoid CO poisoning, the Oregon Poison
Center recommends the following:
Never
use generators, grills or ranges, camp stoves or other gasoline-, propane-
or charcoal-burning devices inside a home, basement, garage, camper or
outside an open window. Gasoline- and kerosene-powered devices must be
placed outside andaway from any
ventilation which might draw in its exhaust.
If
you must use a generator to keep warm during winter power outages,
purchase and install a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector near bedroom(s).
Batteries should be checked twice a year, at the same time as smoke
detector batteries.
Never
burn anything indoors to keep warm. If weather conditions are too hot or
too cold, seek shelter with friends, or in a hotel or community shelter.
Never
run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer or any gasoline-powered
engine outside an open window, in a garage, even if the door is open, or
anywhere exhaust can be vented or sucked into an enclosed area.
Never
leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially
enclosed space, such as a garage.
Don’t use the car or motor
home engine to heat a parked, closed vehicle or camper if you are staying
in it overnight.
If
CO poisoning is suspected, call 911 and go outside where there is fresh
air.
Each year more than 500 people die in the
United States from accidental CO poisoning. CO poisoning can be slow in onset
with victims slowly failing asleep or with noticeable symptoms, such as
headache or nausea, which is often attributed to the flu. However, this silent
odorless gas can cause loss of consciousness, brain damage and death. Common
symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea,
vomiting, chest pain and confusion. People who are sleeping can die from CO poisoning
before ever having symptoms.
If you suspect someone is suffering from
CO poisoning, call 911 immediately. Leave your home, open all windows and doors
and turn off the furnace, the power generator and the stove.