Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A carbon monoxide leak at a Nashville-area school sent 100 people to the hospital last week. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that decreases the amount of oxygen in the body, causing deadly illness. To keep your home safe from a carbon monoxide leak, take the following precautions recommended by Safe Kids Mid-South.

• Install a carbon monoxide alarm outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Place carbon monoxide alarms at least 15 feet away from every fuel-burning appliance to reduce the number of nuisance alarms.
• Test alarms every month and replace them every five years.
• Make sure alarms can be heard when you test them and practice an escape plan with your entire family.
• Have all gas, oil or coal burning appliances inspected by a technician every year to ensure they are working correctly and are properly ventilated.
• Never use a stove for heating.
• Do not use a grill, generator or camping stove inside your home, garage or near a window.
• Never leave a car, SUV, or motorcycle engine running inside a garage, even if the garage door is open.
• Carbon monoxide can accumulate anywhere in or around your boat, so install a carbon monoxide alarm on your motorboat.

Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, which include:

• The most common symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. In severe cases, the person may lose consciousness or die.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning can often be mistaken for other illnesses, such as the flu.
• Often, more than one person in the household will suffer symptoms at the same time.

If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, follow these steps:

• Get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible into fresh air. Then call for help from a neighbor's home or a cell phone outside of your home.
• If someone is experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms, call 911 for medical attention.
• If no one is experiencing symptoms, call the fire department. They will let you know when it is safe to re-enter your home.