Seasonal Elevated Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Losing Oxygen
A recent news story highlights that the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is elevated during the winter season due to the operation of unsafe heating systems. The news story reported that earlier this week, nearly 50 people were hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning after they attended an event at an East Providence social club. The chirping of the carbon monoxide alarm alerted the guests to the hazard.
The East Providence social club had carbon monoxide detectors installed, even though it was not legally required to do so. The fire department determined that the levels of carbon monoxide in the air were 300 parts per million, sufficiently elevated to cause headaches and nausea. The carbon monoxide had been released into the building from the blocked air vent of a gas-fired boiler that was overdue for cleaning. This story caught my attention as, in an unrelated incident, I was also exposed to elevated levels of carbon monoxide. I learned lessons from that experience that I would like to share with the small business community.
Lesson #1: Your state’s requirements for the installation of carbon monoxide detectors may apply only to residential buildings.
The National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code requires that carbon monoxide (CO) detectors be installed in residential buildings, such as single-family homes, condominiums, apartments, dormitories, hotels, etc. The reasoning behind this requirement is that each year, approximately 430 people die of CO poisoning; most of the deaths occur at night when people inhale CO during their sleep. That is why local codes typically require that CO detectors be placed in bedrooms as well as in utility rooms where gas-fired appliances are located.
The Code does not apply to commercial facilities as officials believe that people exposed to CO would be awake and alert at their place of work and should they experience headaches or other symptoms of CO poisoning, they would seek help in a timely manner. I disagree with this line of reasoning. While people might be awake and alert while experiencing headaches and nausea, they might not recognize that such symptoms may be the result of carbon monoxide exposure. People working longer hours might have longer exposures as they would not be leaving the facility to inhale fresh air at the end of the 8-hour shift.
Chronic, low-level poisoning, while usually not fatal, can cause other adverse effects. In the absence of CO detectors, the business owner remains unaware of the hazard. To ensure your safety and that of your employees and visitors, do more than you are legally required to do. Install carbon monoxide detectors in your workplace.
Lesson #2: The risk of carbon monoxide exposure increases during the winter season.
You are at elevated risk of carbon monoxide poisoning during the cold weather. During the winter months, people increase their use of heating systems and keep their windows closed and their homes tightly sealed. Be certain to perform the recommended annual cleaning of gas-fired appliances (such as your boiler or furnace, cooking appliances, dryer) to mitigate this risk. Cars and trucks are also sources of possible carbon monoxide exposure, particularly during the winter months. People may start their cars in their garages, keeping the garage doors closed to avoid the cold until they are ready to leave, or have the engine running by the use of a remote starter in a closed garage. The carbon monoxide that is discharged from the tail pipe accumulates in the closed garage (which typically does not have a carbon monoxide detector) can be lethal. Another source of exposure in the car arises from snow and ice packed against the tail pipe such that carbon monoxide levels build up in the car as the motorist runs the engine to stay warm.
Lesson #3: After a suspected case of carbon monoxide exposure, exit the building, but leave it as is for the fire department to properly evaluate the hazards.
If your carbon monoxide detector sounds the alarm or if you experience symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, evacuate the building and call the fire department. Do not open the windows to air the place out or turn off the appliances. These actions will prevent the fire department from evaluating the hazards. The firemen will wear oxygen masks for their own safety while they work to identify the source of the leak and take the necessary corrective measures. If you open the windows or turn off the boiler before they arrive, you may unwittingly delay the time until you can safely return to the property.
Lesson #4: Some states may not require inspections to protect the tenants.
Prior to leasing a property in most states, the owner is required to obtain a rental permit that will be issued only after a satisfactory inspection of the property by city officials. If the inspector finds any hazards that could discharge carbon monoxide or if the required carbon monoxide detectors are missing, the owner must correct them and submit to a follow-up inspection before he may lease the property. The tenant has some assurance that the property is safe for occupancy. But, as I have learned the hard way, not all states require rental permits or some type of home inspection to protect tenants. In Rhode Island, for example, a property owner must submit to a city inspection in order to sell the property. The title to the property cannot be conveyed until the fire marshal has completed the inspection and the identified deficiencies have been corrected. But the owner can rent a Rhode Island property, even if it is not safe for occupancy.
In the next blog posting in this series, I will share with you the lessons I learned the hard way about carbon monoxide exposure. In the third and final posting, I will offer some tips to ensure the safety of your home and your business.