Carbon Monoxide
You can’t see it, taste it, or smell it but it can kill quickly and without warning.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is and odourless, colorless toxic gas. When inhaled it depletes oxygen in your blood cells. Exposure to high amounts of CO can cause unconsciousness, brain damage and death. Exposure time has a bearing on the severity of the following symptoms, which can be similar to the common flu.
Low Concentration: Slight headache and/or shortness of breath during moderate physical activity.
Higher Concentration: Severe headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, mental confusion, weakness, vision and hearing impairment, collapse, or fainting during exertion, loss of muscle control and/or drowsiness.
Extreme Concentration: Unconsciousness, brain damage or death.
When you inhale carbon monoxide, you could experience any of these symptoms. If any member of your household is affected, of if the symptoms are less evident or disappear altogether when you leave your home, it is potentially the result of carbon monoxide exposure; so take immediate action!
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU SUSPECT CARBON MONOXIDE IS PRESENT
- Open doors and windows to air out the area.
- Evacuate the building (including pets).
- Seek medical advice immediately for physical symptoms.
- Once safely evacuated, contact Yellowhead Gas Co-op Ltd. at 780-723-4214, 9-1-1 or your local Fire Department.
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING PREVENTION
- Make sure your wood burning fireplace has enough combustion and ventilation air.
- Have a qualified service technician check all gas appliances (including furnaces and fireplaces) at the start of each heating season.
- You should never run a vehicle, snowblower, lawnmower etc. in a closed garage.
- Never use a BBQ indoors (Natural Gas, Charcoal, or Propane).
- Never run exhaust fans, power attic vents or a central vacuum system for prolonged periods.
- Never use a gas range or unvented space heater in to heat your home.
- Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector in your home.