Running a car or generator in an attached garage can cause fatal CO poisoning in the home. If the cab of a truck is defectively designed, sleeping in the cab while the engine is running can pose a danger. So can using a gas-powered generator or burning wood or charcoal in the basement, crawlspace or even next to a living area if a window or door is open, as lethal fumes could seep into your home.
The best protection against carbon monoxide poisoning in the home is to have a CO detector installed near your bedrooms. Be sure also to have your furnace serviced regularly. To learn more, visit our safety tips page.
Answers
to Frequently Asked Questions
on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
This
information is provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission:
Q:
What is carbon monoxide (CO) and how is it produced in
the home?
A: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous
gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid,
liquid, and gaseous fuels. Appliances fueled with natural
gas, liquified petroleum (LP gas), oil, kerosene, coal,
or wood may produce CO. Burning charcoal produces CO.
Running cars produce CO.
Q:
How many people are unintentionally poisoned by CO?
A: Every year, over 200 people in the United States die
from CO produced by fuel-burning appliances (furnaces,
ranges, water heaters, room heaters). Others die from
CO produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage,
vehicle or tent. Still others die from CO produced by
cars left running in attached garages. Several thousand
people go to hospital emergency rooms for treatment for
CO poisoning.
Q:
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
A: The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to
the flu (but without the fever). They include:
Headache
Fatigue
Shortness
of breath
Nausea
Dizziness
Many
people with CO poisoning mistake their symptoms for the
flu or are misdiagnosed by physicians, which sometimes
results in tragic deaths.
Q:
What should you do to prevent CO poisoning?
A:
Please click here to review our
safety tips for avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning.
Q:
What CO level is dangerous to your health?
A:
The health effects of CO depend on the level of CO and
length of exposure, as well as each individual's health
condition. The concentration of CO is measured in parts
per million (ppm). Health effects from exposure to CO
levels of approximately 1 to 70 ppm are uncertain, but
most people will not experience any symptoms. Some heart
patients might experience an increase in chest pain. As
CO levels increase and remain above 70 ppm, symptoms may
become more noticeable (headache, fatigue, nausea). As
CO levels increase above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation,
unconsciousness, and death are possible.
Q:
What should you do if you are experiencing symptoms of
CO poisoning?
A:
If you think you are experiencing any of the symptoms
of CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Open windows
and doors for more ventilation, turn off any combustion
appliances, and leave the house. Call your fire department
and report your symptoms. You could lose consciousness
and die if you do nothing. It is also important to contact
a doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis. Tell your
doctor that you suspect CO poisoning is causing your problems.
Prompt medical attention is important if you are experiencing
any symptoms of CO poisoning when you are operating fuel-burning
appliances. Before turning your fuel-burning appliances
back on, make sure a qualified serviceperson checks them
for malfunction.
Q:
What has changed in CO detectors/alarms recently?
A:
CO detectors/alarms always have been and still are designed
to alarm before potentially life-threatening levels of
CO are reached. The UL standard 2034 (1998 revision) has
stricter requirements that the detector/alarm must meet
before it can sound. As a result, the possibility of nuisance
alarms is decreased.
Q:
How should I install a CO alarm?
A:
CO alarms should be installed according to the manufacturer's
instructions. CPSC recommends that one CO alarm be installed
in the hallway outside the bedrooms in each separate sleeping
area of the home. CO alarms may be installed into a plug-in
receptacle or high on the wall because CO from any source
will be well-mixed with the air in the house. Make sure
furniture or draperies cannot cover up the alarm.
Q:
What should you do when the CO detector/alarm sounds?
A:
Never ignore an alarming CO detector/alarm. If the detector/alarm
sounds: Operate the reset button. Call your emergency
services (fire department or 911). Immediately move to
fresh air -- outdoors or by an open door/window.
Q:
Should CO detectors/alarms be used in motor homes and
other recreational vehicles?
A:
CO detectors/alarms are available for boats and recreational
vehicles and should be used. The Recreation Vehicle Industry
Association requires CO detectors/alarms in motor homes
and in towable recreational vehicles that have a generator
or are prepped for a generator.
Contact A Personal
Injury Attorney
Persons who have suffered brain damage, or the families of loved ones who have died from exposure to carbon monoxide due to a defective product or the negligence of another are welcome to contact Lieff Cabraser.
Please note that we wish to
and can only help those already diagnosed with major carbon monoxide-related
injuries (or the families of victims killed by carbon monoxide). Those without
major CO2 related injuries may wish to visit the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, the Medline
Plus section on carbon monoxide,
or the Health and Safety
Executive pages on domestic gas health and safety.
We
will review your claim for free and without any obligation on your part.
About Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is one of the largest law firms in
the nation that represents only plaintiffs. We have a team of personal injury
lawyers, assisted by multiple nurses, scientific advisors and medical experts,
dedicated to advancing our clients' interests, including clients who have
been injured due to defective products.
"Carbon monoxide kills one, injures several in SF apartment building"
January 13, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle
A carbon monoxide leak in a San Francisco apartment building killed a 77-year-old man and injured eight other people Monday night, even though an alarm meant to detect the dangerous gas had been beeping since Sunday. More...
Lieff
Cabraser has participated in over forty-two $100
million-plus settlements and verdicts. To read
a summary, click
here.
