Milton Marks Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2021

By: Laura Steiner

This week is Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness week, running from today (November 1) until November 7.

Carbon Monoxide is a substance produced when fuels including propane, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil or wood don’t completely burn.  The fuels are used in appliances including:

• Furnaces
• Hot water heaters
• Gas/Wood fireplaces or stoves
• Heaters/generators,
• Barbeques
• Vehicles

The Milton Fire Department has shared the following tips:

• Inspect fuel-burning appliances, chimneys and vents on a yearly basis
• Use barbecues only outside
• Install CO Alarms adjacent to each sleeping area
• Check heaters are properly vented
• Never run vehicles or motors inside a garage even if the door is open, and remove vehicles from the garage once they are started

How Do I know what a CO alarm sounds like?

• Test both smoke, and CO alarms on a monthly basis in order be sure your home’s occupants know the difference between them, and how they sound.
• Consult the manufacturers’ instructions as to what the difference is between the warnings for end-of-life and low-battery.

What are the symptoms of CO?

• Carbon Monoxide exposure can cause symptoms mimicking the flu such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and death.
• If the CO alarm goes, and the home’s occupants are suffering from CO exposure, leave the house immediately.
• Check the battery if the alarm sounds, and none of the occupants are showing symptoms of exposure.

For more tips visit the Milton Fire Department’s website, and COsafety.ca