Archive for September, 2008

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and deadly gas. When exposed to CO, it restrains your blood’s capacity to carry oxygen throughout the body, actually suffocating your tissues and organs. CO can escape into your home’s air through a faulty furnace, wood-burning stove, range, water heater, fireplace, or any device that burns combustible fuel.

CO poisonings from fuel-burning appliances kill at least 200 people a year and send more than 5,000 people to hospital emergency rooms. Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms can often be confused with flu symptoms but become much more serious. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, irregular breathing, mental confusion, unconsciousness, and ultimately – death. The key to protecting yourself and your family is prevention and the use of a quality carbon monoxide detector.

Though everyone is susceptible, medical experts believe that small children, pregnant women, unborn babies, senior citizens, and people with heart or respiratory problems are more vulnerable. To avoid CO poisoning in your home, heed the following suggestions:

• Every time a fuel appliance is activated, CO is produced. Keep fresh air circulating in your home; open a vent or a window to eliminate toxic fumes. Fuel-combustion appliances should be vented directly outdoors.
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends installing at least one carbon monoxide detector with an audible warning alarm. Choose Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed detector that sounds an audible warning. Look for the UL logo on the package.
• Install your CO detector at least 15 feet away from a furnace or gas appliance. Avoid installing detectors close to a fan, swamp cooler, or other fresh or turbulent air sources as this may deter the unit from taking accurate readings. If you only have one detector, it should be installed in the hallway near the sleeping area so it will awaken you if the alarm goes off while you are sleeping. Additional alarms on each level of your house can provide extra protection.
• Maintain CO detectors on a regularly basis. Keep it clean and free of grease, soot, and debris – clean it with a slightly damp cloth (no chemical cleansers) or vacuum it. It’s best to test your alarms regularly as well.
• Have your heating system checked each fall before cold weather arrives to make sure it’s operating efficiently and all the vents, pipes, flues, and chimneys are unclogged and tight. Have your stoves, fireplaces, and water heater checked as well.
• Don’t close your fireplace damper until you’re certain the fire is out. If smoke enters the room, your chimney may be causing a reverse flow. Open a window. Have all chimney cleaned, inspected and serviced annually.
• Never run your car engine in an enclosed area – open the garage door before starting the car.
• Replace smoke alarms every ten years – they accumulate significant levels of dust, dirt, and debris. Since a smoke alarm works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, its life span is about ten years.
• Make sure the burner flames on your furnace burn blue, not yellow-orange, and never use your gas or oven for heating.
• Never use grills or hibachis inside your home.
• Never operate gas-burning appliances in a closed room.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. Every year people are injured and killed in fires at home than anywhere else, and cooking fires cause the most injuries by far. In fact, in 1995, 97,400 home cooking fires caused 279 civilian deaths, 4,735 civilian injuries, and $358 million in property damage. The NFPA suggests taking the following steps to prevent cooking fires in the home:

• Always keep an eye on food being heated. Unattended cooking causes the majority of fires in the kitchen. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the heat.
• Keep children away from appliances when cooking. Enforce a “kid-free zone” around the stove and teach youngsters not to play in that area. If you allow older children to cook, supervise them closely and teach them safe cooking practices.
• Dress appropriately for cooking. Wear short or tight fitting sleeves when cooking and use caution when working near heat sources.
• Try not to reach over the stove. You can avoid this by not storing items you use directly over or behind the stovetop.
• Turn handles inward so pots and pans won’t be pulled or knocked off the stove. Take precautions and turn handles away from danger.
• Keep the stove-top clean and clear. Keep food and grease from building up by cleaning often and keep things that can catch fire, like pot holders or wooden utensils, away from heat.
• Carefully monitor hot oil, keeping the pan lid close at hand. Guard against splattering grease by lowering food into oil with utensils; don’t just drop it in. Know what to do in case a grease fire occurs.
• If you’re cooking with oil and it ignites , don’t throw water on the fire. Don’t try moving the pan either. Turn the burner off and smother the fire with a pan lid. If this doesn’t work, leave the house and call the fire department.
• If you have a fire in your microwave oven, close the door to the microwave and unplug it. Don’t use the microwave again until you’ve had it serviced.
• Do not put any metallic materials in the microwave oven, which may cause sparks and eventually damage the microwave.
• Keep an “ABC” dry chemical fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Use caution with electrical appliances. Plug one appliance into an outlet at a time. Have appliances with frayed or cracked cords repaired before use. Keep heat-producing appliances away from walls and curtains. Be extra careful when working around water. Never stand in or near water when using electrical appliances.
• Keep appliance cords as short as possible to avoid accidents such as tripping or knocking the appliance over.
• Keep appliances in proper working order. Avoid using them if they are defective.
• Always have hot pads and lids ready when cooking. You may need them if you experience a small pan fire.
• Keep emergency numbers by the telephone – police, fire, poison control, and doctor.
• Prevent boil-overs by not overfilling pots. Use recommended temperatures instead of increasing the heat to reduce cooking time.
• Use a burner that’s the appropriate size for the pan you’re using.

• Use outlet plug covers to prevent children from inserting objects into outlets.
• Never run an electrical cord under a rug or carpet, or drape it over a hot surface such as a radiator or space heater.
• Make sure that all portable lamps and fixtures are equipped with light bulbs of equal or lesser wattage than that recommended by the lamp or fixture manufacturer.
• Unplug all extension cords when not in use and never use an extension cord that is cut or damaged.
• Keep all portable and countertop appliances unplugged when not in use.
• Never use or attempt to repair a damaged appliance; always consult a qualified technician.
• Keep space heaters, radios, and other electrical products away from bathtubs and sinks.
• Keep medications, cleaning products, and other poisons away from children and pets.
• Make sure that you have ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets installed in the bathroom as well as in the kitchen, laundry room and workshop.