Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… Not the water, but today’s news reports highlight another springtime hazard, construction sites. According to WHDH news in Boston, a construction worker was overcome today from what was thought to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Latest reports are dismissing the threat of carbon monoxide, but the risk factors could certainly exist. For the complete story, click here. http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO76638/
In this incident, the workers was working on a two mile long tunnel. Thus, the threat for a poorly ventilated carbon monoxide producing machine exists. What if there was no engine? Well, the human body is such a machine too.
Carbon Monoxide and Boating?
As we shiver on a wet and windy day in Chicago, it seems bizarre to talk about boating, yet that season is soon upon us. (We hope.) As outboard motors replace the fires we build in our furnaces, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning shifts but is not eliminated. Remember, any time you burn, you have fumes, and in most cases carbon monoxide. If you don’t vent those fumes properly, you could be poisoned. Here is what the coast guard has to say about CO exposure in boats:
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) can harm and even kill you inside or outside your boat!
Did you also know:
CO symptoms are similar to seasickness or alcohol intoxication?
CO can affect you whether you’re underway, moored, or anchored?
You cannot see, smell, or taste CO?
CO can make you sick in seconds. In high enough concentrations, even a few breaths can be fatal?
Most important of all, did you know carbon monoxide poisonings are preventable? Every boater should be aware of the risks associated with carbon monoxide – what it is; where it may accumulate; and the symptoms of CO poisoning. To protect yourself, your passengers, and those around you, learn all you can about CO.
Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
The must-know facts about carbon monoxide. If you don’t recognize the symptoms of CO poisoning, you may not receive the medical attention you need.
Where CO May Accumulate
You’re not just at risk inside a boat. Knowing all the possible places where CO may accumulate could save your life.
How to Protect Others & Yourself
CO poisoning is preventable. Here are specific steps you can take to help prevent carbon monoxide from harming you, your passengers, or fellow boaters.
Helpful Checklists and Maintenance Tips
A checklist for every trip, plus a monthly and annual checklist. They’re easy for you to print and use.
Downloadable Educational Tools
Brochures, photos, posters, and other tools to help increase awareness about carbon monoxide and recreational boating.
Source: http://uscgboating.org/command/co.htm
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) can harm and even kill you inside or outside your boat!
Did you also know:
CO symptoms are similar to seasickness or alcohol intoxication?
CO can affect you whether you’re underway, moored, or anchored?
You cannot see, smell, or taste CO?
CO can make you sick in seconds. In high enough concentrations, even a few breaths can be fatal?
Most important of all, did you know carbon monoxide poisonings are preventable? Every boater should be aware of the risks associated with carbon monoxide – what it is; where it may accumulate; and the symptoms of CO poisoning. To protect yourself, your passengers, and those around you, learn all you can about CO.
Dangers of Carbon Monoxide
The must-know facts about carbon monoxide. If you don’t recognize the symptoms of CO poisoning, you may not receive the medical attention you need.
Where CO May Accumulate
You’re not just at risk inside a boat. Knowing all the possible places where CO may accumulate could save your life.
How to Protect Others & Yourself
CO poisoning is preventable. Here are specific steps you can take to help prevent carbon monoxide from harming you, your passengers, or fellow boaters.
Helpful Checklists and Maintenance Tips
A checklist for every trip, plus a monthly and annual checklist. They’re easy for you to print and use.
Downloadable Educational Tools
Brochures, photos, posters, and other tools to help increase awareness about carbon monoxide and recreational boating.
Source: http://uscgboating.org/command/co.htm
Spring is not the End of the Carbon Monoxide Season
As the weather improves, the impression might be that risk of Carbon monoxide exposure is lessening. While in terms of total numbers such might be the case, spring and summer do come with significant risk factors for CO poisoning. Seriously, the spring and summer risk factors are often the kind that carbon monoxide protectors are not available to warn of exposure.
The first risk factor that comes to mind is severe weather. With severe weather, comes power outages and ad hoc attempts to replace electrical power with either flame generated light or portable electric generators. While candles aren’t too dangerous, any other flame inside can come with significant CO exposure.
Electric generators are a particularly dangerous risk because not enough care is taken to make sure that the engine that generates such power, if properly vented. For potential risk factors from portable generators, click here.
Here are the basic rules when using portable generators:
Here are the basic rules to avoid CO exposure when using a portable generator:
Always use generators outdoors.
Keep generator exhaust away from air that flows into a building. But also make sure it is away from windows, doors and vents. The venting part can be critical. Many of the tragic stories we have heard this winter was from indirect exposure because an engine source (like a generator) was too close to an air intake vent.
Garages, basements, crawl spaces, are not OUTDOORS.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions. This presumes you can still find the instructions. Hopefully they are printed right on the generator itself. If not, look them up online. Keep in mind that exhaust that can get into your living area can kill you.
Use CO detectors, and make sure they are working, that the batteries are replaced when needed. Remember that smoke detectors, are not CO detectors. You can have CO exposure with no smell of smoke and without a smoke detector going off.
Next Post: Other Warm Weather risk factors.
The first risk factor that comes to mind is severe weather. With severe weather, comes power outages and ad hoc attempts to replace electrical power with either flame generated light or portable electric generators. While candles aren’t too dangerous, any other flame inside can come with significant CO exposure.
Electric generators are a particularly dangerous risk because not enough care is taken to make sure that the engine that generates such power, if properly vented. For potential risk factors from portable generators, click here.
Here are the basic rules when using portable generators:
Here are the basic rules to avoid CO exposure when using a portable generator:
Always use generators outdoors.
Keep generator exhaust away from air that flows into a building. But also make sure it is away from windows, doors and vents. The venting part can be critical. Many of the tragic stories we have heard this winter was from indirect exposure because an engine source (like a generator) was too close to an air intake vent.
Garages, basements, crawl spaces, are not OUTDOORS.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions. This presumes you can still find the instructions. Hopefully they are printed right on the generator itself. If not, look them up online. Keep in mind that exhaust that can get into your living area can kill you.
Use CO detectors, and make sure they are working, that the batteries are replaced when needed. Remember that smoke detectors, are not CO detectors. You can have CO exposure with no smell of smoke and without a smoke detector going off.
Next Post: Other Warm Weather risk factors.