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Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odourless, tasteless & extremely toxic gas. CO is a result of incomplete combustion of fossil-fuels such as natural gas, bottled gas, solid fuels (wood, coal etc). CO is absorbed by the red blood cells in the lungs in preference to oxygen, resulting in oxygen starvation & rapid damage to the heart & brain.
Here are a few UK statistics that will set the alarm bells ringing:
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- 23 deaths from Carbon Monoxide poisoning in 2009/2010
- 176 near misses from Carbon Monoxide poisoning in 2009/2010
- 72% of Gas Safe (formally CORGI) registered engineers discovered a Carbon Monoxide leak when performing routine services on appliances
- 40% of recorded Carbon Monoxide incidents were caused by bad installation and repair of appliances
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However, incidents of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are often unrecorded as they can easily be misdiagnosed – low level exposure to Carbon Monoxide results in symptoms similar to flu. Due to this the actual number of poisoning incidents is almost certainly much higher than the figures shown above.
CO is produced by any fossil-fuel burning appliances such as gas or oil boilers/furnaces, gas/solid fuel fireplaces, gas appliances, solid fuel stoves etc. Heavy doses of CO will cause a person to collapse & die within minutes [see adjoining table]. Lesser doses of CO may cause flue-like symptoms, headaches, drowsiness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting [see table below].
Sources of Carbon Monoxide
If a home has any of these appliances it is a potential source of Carbon Monoxide.
Toxic amounts of CO can be produced if there is:
- An appliance not working correctly due to poor installation, lack of servicing or blocked chimney or flue.
- Inadequate ventilation, resulting in insufficient oxygen for the fuel to burn properly.
- A cracked chimney or flue.
Where to place Carbon Monoxide Alarms
| Table A Effects of Cumulative CO Exposure |
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| CO ppm |
Inhalation Time (approx) and Symptoms Developed |
| 35 |
The maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure in any 8-hour period according to OSHA**. |
| 150 |
Slight headache after 1.5 hours. |
| 200 |
Slight headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea after 2-3 hours. |
| 400 |
Frontal headaches within 1-2 hours, life threatening after 3 hours. |
| 800 |
Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 minutes.Unconsciousness within 2 hours. Death within 2-3 hours. |
| 1,600 |
Headache, dizziness and nausea within 20minutes. Death within 1 hour. |
| 3,200 |
Headache, dizziness and nausea within 5-10 minutes. Death within 25-30 minutes. |
| 6,400 |
Headache, dizziness and nausea within 1-2 minutes. Death within 10-15 minutes. |
| 12,800 |
Death within 1-3 minutes. |
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| OSHA ** Occupational |
ppm |
| Safety & Health Association |
parts per million |
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REMEMBER!
If the CO Alarm gives a warning you MUST believe that Carbon Monoxide is present (because it is invisible, odourless & tasteless you cannot verify!) and you MUST take immediate corrective action. [see panel below “What to do if Carbon Monoxide is detected”].
What do you do if Carbon Monoxide is detected
- Turn off all fuel burning appliances
- Open doors and windows to ventilate.
- Leave the property.
- Contact your appliance service company
- If in doubt contact the emergency services for advice
- Don’t re-enter the property until the alarm has stopped
- Don’t use appliances until checked by a qualified person.
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