Protect Yourself from Deadly Carbon Monoxide

Well it's 11:15 pm and my smoke detector just went off. The first thing my husband said was "are you cooking" ?  After checking all the units we decided it was a low battery. We have been in our home for ten years. Since he's at the store now at 11:25 buying new batteries for all the units I thought I would post a story about carbon monoxide detectors.

Protect Yourself from Deadly Carbon Monoxide

The arrival of winter brings on increased risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
All fuel-burning devices—from cars to heaters— produce CO, but poorly functioning ones can produce harmful and even deadly quantities of the odorless, invisible gas. Especially at risk are unborn babies, infants, the elderly, and those with anemia or heart or respiratory diseases. Low to moderate levels of CO may cause headache, nausea, and mental confusion. High levels or prolonged exposure
may cause brain damage or death.

The US Environmental Protection Agency
recommends:
• never idling a vehicle in an enclosed space.
• never heating a room with a gas oven.
• never sleeping in a room with an unvented gas or kerosene space heater.
• installing UL-certifi ed CO detectors in the home.

For more information, go online to:
www.epa.gov/iaq/co.

Lifeglow

November - December 2008: Vol. 25, No. 6