Carbon Monoxide Safety
Keeping Safe from the “Silent Killer”
The following information is provided by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). For more information about carbon monoxide safety, visit their website at www.tssa.org, or contact your fire department.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless,
tasteless and toxic gas and is often referred to as the
“silent killer”. When inhaled it inhibits the blood’s
capacity to transport oxygen throughout the body. It can
poison the body quickly in high concentrations, or
slowly over long periods of time.
What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as
headaches, nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, confusion,
drowsiness or loss of consciousness. In severe cases, CO
poisoning can cause brain damage and death. The elderly,
children and people with heart or respiratory conditions
may be particularly sensitive to CO.
How is carbon monoxide generated in the home?
Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion
of fuels such as natural gas, propane, heating oil,
kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline or wood. This
incomplete combustion can occur in any device that
depends on burning for energy or heat, such as furnaces,
room heaters, fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves or
grills and any gas-powered vehicle or engine.
Automobiles left running in attached garages, gas
barbecues operated inside the house, grills or kerosene
heaters that are not properly vented, or chimneys or
vents that are dirty or plugged may create unsafe levels
of CO.
When properly installed, maintained and vented, any CO
produced by these devices will not stay inside the home.
What are some danger signs?
- You or other members of your family have symptoms of CO exposure (see above).
- You notice a sharp, penetrating odour or smell of gas when your furnace or other fuel-burning equipment turns on.
- The air is stale or stuffy.
- The pilot light of your furnace or other fuel-burning equipment goes out.
- Chalky white powder forms on the chimney/exhaust vent pipe or soot build-up occurs around the exhaust vent.
How can unsafe levels of carbon monoxide be detected?
Carbon monoxide alarms monitor airborne concentration
levels (parts per million) of carbon monoxide and sound
an audible alarm when harmful CO levels are present.
Be sure that your alarm has been certified to the
Canadian Standards Association CAN/CGA 6.19 standard or
the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 standard.
If you suspect carbon monoxide in your home…
If you or anyone in your home is experiencing the
symptoms of CO poisoning, ensure that everyone leaves
the home immediately, leaving the door open. Call your
local fire department or 911 from a neighbour’s
telephone. If your CO alarm sounds, do NOT assume it to
be a false alarm. Open all doors and windows to
ventilate the home. If you cannot find the problem and
the alarm continues, contact the fire department. If
there is a strong smell of natural gas in your home,
evacuate immediately, leaving the door open, and contact
your local gas utility.
If no symptoms are experienced, reset the alarm and
check to see if it activates. If the alarm sounds a
second time, call the local fire department for their
assistance.
If the alarm does not sound a second time, check for
common conditions that may have caused a CO build-up
(see the accompanying illustration) or contact a
qualified heating contractor to check your fuel-burning
equipment.
Where should a CO alarm be located in the home?
Proper placement of a CO alarm is important. In general,
the human body is most vulnerable to the effects of CO
during sleeping hours, so an alarm should be located in
or as near as possible to the sleeping area of the home.
If only one alarm is being installed, it should be
located near the sleeping area, where it can wake you if
you are asleep.
Where sleeping areas are located in separate parts of
the home, an alarm should be provided for each area.
Additional CO alarms should be placed on each level of a
residence and in other rooms where combustion devices
are located (such as in a room that contains a solid
fuel-fired appliance, gas clothes dryer or natural gas
furnace), or adjacent to potential sources of CO (such
as in a teenager’s room or granny suite located adjacent
to an attached garage).
Unlike smoke, which rises to the ceiling, CO mixes with
air. Recognizing this, a CO alarm should be located at
knee-height (which is about the same as prone sleeping
height). Due to the possibility of tampering or damage
by pets, children, vacuum cleaners and the like, it may
be located up to chest height. To work properly, a CO
alarm should not be blocked by furniture, draperies or
other obstructions to normal air flow.
If a combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarm is used, it
should be located on the ceiling, to ensure that it will
detect smoke effectively.
Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for
additional information regarding proper installation,
use and maintenance.
To keep safe, please remember:
- You have a responsibility to know about the dangers of carbon monoxide. Your knowledge and actions may save lives.
- CO alarms are a good second line of defence, but do not eliminate the need for regular inspection, maintenance and safe use of fuel-burning equipment.
- Take the time to learn about the use of CO alarms in your home to ensure you are using this equipment properly and effectively.
