Winter is the season when carbon monoxide creates headlines. As many as 1,000 Americans die each year from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and many more are injured, often from improperly vented furnaces or blocked exhaust vents. In the Seattle area, six people died earlier this winter in three separate incidents then they used charcoal grills or portable generators to stay warm after a winter storm knocked out power. Poor ventilation in areas where stoves, heaters and generators are used can lead to a buildup of poisonous carbon monoxide fumes.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can also occur in the workplace, during any season. In Pittsburgh, three workers at a steel plant were recently overcome by CO while working near the same blast furnace where a manager had died from the poisonous gas only weeks earlier.
Silent Killer
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer - colorless, odorless, tasteless and very poisonous. Once inhaled, it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream where it takes the place of hemoglobin, the red blood pigment that normally carries oxygen throughout the body. Because carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin several hundred times more strongly than oxygen, the amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues and organs of the body is reduced, causing oxygen starvation.
The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu, including headache, fatigue, shortness of breath and nausea. Symptoms of moderate exposure include dizziness and light headedness. More severe symptoms include confusion, irritability, and impaired judgment, memory and coordination.
CO is the result of the incomplete burning of natural gas and any other material containing carbon such as gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal or wood. Forges, blast furnaces and coke ovens also produce carbon monoxide. One of the most common sources of exposure is the internal combustion engine – on average, 2/3 of a pound of CO is produced for every mile a car travels. Cigarettes also release carbon monoxide.
Firefighters and CO
Firefighters are keenly aware of the hazards of carbon monoxide hazards. Not only do they see firsthand the agonizing results of civilian poisoning, they must also operate in an environment of high levels of CO every time they respond to a fire. Depending on the type of blaze, CO levels may range from 50 ppm to several thousand ppm, a level that would be fatal after several minutes exposure.
Some fire fighters have died after becoming disoriented by carbon monoxide poisoning and unable to get to safety.
In addition to its immediate effects, long-term exposure to carbon monoxide has delayed effects on heart muscle function and can cause permanent damage to the heart and nervous system. There is much evidence that links chronic exposure to carbon monoxide to the cardiovascular disease deaths reported in the fire service. CO toxicity in blood places stress on the heart, making it pump oxygen-deficient blood faster while depriving the heart muscle of the oxygen it needs to perform properly.
Emergency Film Group has produced CO: Response to Carbon Monoxide Incidents to provide guidelines for first responders called to residential or industrial carbon monoxide incidents. This DVD or video-based training program provides trains personnel to act quickly and accurately when responding to carbon monoxide emergencies.
