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Carbon Monoxide Safety

Remember - Illinois homeowners, landlords and owners of occupied buildings with one or more sleeping areas are required to install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, in accordance with the Illinois Carbon Monoxide Detector Act.

Learn about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and how to protect your family from this silent killer.

States and cities across the country are taking steps to protect citizens from CO – America's leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths. On the Laws & Legislation page, click on your state to learn what's happening and how you can protect your loved ones.

 

Placement of a CO detector in the home requires some thoughtful consideration.

Placing it in the furnace room will likely produce some unnecessary alarms, while placing it too far from possible CO sources won’t produce an alarm soon enough. Most manufacturers include instructions on the best locations. One on each living level is frequently recommended. It’s best to keep them out of the sleeping rooms to give a more advanced warning when you’re snoozing. Basement stairwells often give early warnings without causing unnecessary alarms. Living rooms and rooms attached to the garage are also good locations.

A Guide to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Wood stoves improperly used can contribute to carbon monoxide poisoning.Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can happen within a matter of minutes and is responsible for more deaths than any other single poison. This odorless, colorless poison can hurt you slowly in low levels, cause permanent neurological dysfunctions in moderate levels or take lives in higher levels. Protection against this deadly poison is as easy as installing a simple carbon monoxide detector in your home or office.

Dizziness and headaches are symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.CO is produced whenever fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned. The amount of CO produced while using fuel-burning appliances is usually not harmful. It becomes hazardous when appliances are used improperly or are not functioning adequately.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious threat that people need to get informed about. By educating ourselves on the dangers of CO we can significantly reduce the health risk as well as save lives. Although everyone needs to be aware of the dangers, some people are more susceptible than others. The following are more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Foetuses
  • Infants
  • Elderly People
  • Those who suffer from anaemia, respiratory or heart disease

Precautionary Measures
Routinely at the beginning of every heating season home owners should have their fuel burning appliances checked by a qualified technician. Appliances deteriorate with time and can be a health risk to those who live in the home.

Also knowing which carbon monoxide decetors to choose and knowing how CO detectors work can help maximize security.

Click Here for the actual STATE of ILLINOIS LAW
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State of Illinois CO Law

Preventative Measures

Preventative measures that can provide safety for ourselves and our families have reduced the number carbon monoxide poisoning victims.

There are some very simple ways to ensure that you and your family will not suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning. Having a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home is the most effective way to keep a watch on the levels of CO in your home. Other precautions that can be taken are listed below.

  • Have flues and chimneys checked for security and blockages.
  • At the beginning of every heating season have a trained professional check all your fuel-burning appliances such as oil and gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ranges and ovens, gas dryers, gas or kerosene space heaters, fire places and wood stoves.
  • Install and maintain appliances according to the manufacturers' instructions.
  • Never idle the car in the garage whether or not the door of the garage is opened or closed; fumes can build up quickly and contaminate the air in the garage and living area of your home.
  • Never use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time.
  • Never use a charcoal grill indoors.
  • Never sleep in a room heated by a gas or kerosene space heater that does not have proper venting.
  • Do not use any gasoline-powered engines such as mowers, weed trimmers, snow blowers, chain saws, small engines or generators in enclosed spaces.
  • Make a point of actually installing your carbon monoxide detector and not leave it hanging around in your tool boxes or on workbenches.

Effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide can poison or kill an individual with little warning. There are a number of symptoms that are indicators of possible carbon monoxide poisoning. These symptoms vary depending on the amount of exposure to the actual poison. Recently, studies have been performed to show that chronic carbon monoxide poisoning can result in long term, residual effects on our bodies.

Effects of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches.One such study has been conducted by Dr. David G. Penney. He suggests that long periods of exposure to carbon monoxide, at low levels, can result in long-term effects. He calls this chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. This can cause effects in an individual for days, weeks, months, or even years. Results vary depending on the age and health of an individual.

For the purposes of Dr. Penney’s study, the term “chronic” is used to describe how long the carbon monoxide exposure lasts, not how long the resulting effects are.

  • Physical symptoms: headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain, chronic fatigue, dizziness, numbness, tingling, vertigo
  • Cognitive / Memory Impairments: attention problems, multi-tasking problems, word-finding problems, short-term memory problems, verbal and/or visual deficits.
  • Affective Disorders (emotional/personality effects): irritability, anxiety, lack of motivation, temper, loss of interest, sleep disturbance.
  • Sensory and Motor Disorders: blurry vision, double vision, buzzing in the ears, decreased co-ordination, speaking, eating and swallowing disorders.
  • Gross Neurological Disorders: seizures, inability to speak, balance problems, tremors.

For questions or comments please send an email to jhawtho@lemontfire.com
 

NOTE: Links on these pages are pointers to other locations in the Internet.  This information is provided as a service; however the Lemont Fire Protection District does not endorse, approve or otherwise support these sites.