“Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.”
Aldo Leopold (1887-1948, bio link)
Protect yourself from carbon monoxide injury, death and liability
The use of a personal CO monitor about the size of a cell phone and equipped with a good sensor with limited cross sensitivities and, that is digitally active as low as 5 PPM, alarming no later than 35 PPM, is a top recommendation for every service provider in a variety of occupations.
It comes down to our most basic question: who is responsible for the air you breathe? This may be vital or even life saving for police entering homes on a domestic call, to fire and EMS responders on a heart attack call. These events happen all over the world and there are times when the responders are sickened or have even expired from air contaminated with carbon monoxide.
Home health nurses are already going into homes where people are experiencing many of the symptoms on the list noted as potential CO poisoning. This is a great CO Safety opportunity! It is advised that home health nurses diligently asses the levels of the patients home air with the personal CO monitor they also carry for their own protection. There may be a CO alarm in the space they are visiting but it may not be health protective for the vulnerable patient living there.
These lower levels of CO may be the complicating factor of their symptoms and the cause might be missed. This misdiagnosis leads to medicinal applications that may not even be needed if the contaminant was discovered. It also compounds the patients stress, moods and overall state of health. Please don't miss the opportunity; measure the air and measure the patient.
The next steps in the home health nurse's routine would also include the non-invasive testing of the patients COHb levels and to also check for methemoglobin
levels to help determine if any of their specific medications are restricting oxygen delivery to any degree and compounding symptoms. They should be aware of the carbon monoxide in air evacuation levels used by fire, emergency and medical technicians and act accordingly upon discovery.
The home health nurse should also measure the patients home air for carbon dioxide levels (CO2). Air that becomes stuffy with air because the building was tightened to save heating fuel or cooling costs can lead to an abundance of CO2 and lead to additional oxidative stress and discomfort.
Heating contractors and boiler fitters should know the quality of the space they are working in, especially since they are assuming the liability of specific combustion systems. That would include boiler fitters, other water heater installers and any technician installing or servicing a gas appliance. They too should be utilizing personal CO monitors. The likeliness of these technicians working in chronic exposure levels of CO is quite high.
It is also advised that you record the levels of carbon monoxide upon entering a building and how much was in it when you left. If you don’t test, you don’t know. Bob Dwyer, CSME Carbon Monoxide Safety
CO News links
Fire Department Warns of Accidents During Power Outage
Patch.com
Carbon monoxide poisonings and fire-related accidents are more common after a severe storm, according to fire officials.
Working on working together to prevent CO poisoning
CO Awareness Launches Community Awareness Group
OilFiredUp
The founder of the Carbon Monoxide Awareness charity, Lynn Griffiths, is asking organisations working in the community to come together to prevent deaths and injuries from the UK's most common poison. The charity is asking anyone working in the UK who ...
· Please take CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY CARE during all holiday and everyday activities.
· Carbon Monoxide Survivor A website made by poisoning survivors that brings a view that can only come from those that know what it is like to have been poisoned - as well as live with the long term impact.
· Consider low level protection for carbon monoxide and smoldering fire detection problems.
National Conference of State Legislatures
Carbon Monoxide Detectors State Statutes
Twenty-five U.S. states have statutes that require carbon monoxide detectors in certain residential buildings. Updated Nov. 2011
Alaska | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts| Michigan | Minnesota | Montana | New Jersey | New Hampshire | New York | North Carolina | Oregon | Rhode Island | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin | West Virginia
Google Maps to reference the locations referenced in these Internet headlines.
The following companies are acknowledged for their continued support of carbon monoxide safety education and this daily news blog. They may just have what you are looking for.
Fieldpiece
The Energy Conservatory
IntelliTec Colleges
CO Experts
Masimo (See the non-invasive RAD-57)
Mahugh Fire & Safety
Every Day is Carbon Monoxide Safety Day!
