Protect your family from carbon monoxide
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Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service provides tips to raise awareness of this ‘silent killer'
Did you know many Ontario homes have an average of four to six fuel-burning appliances that produce carbon monoxide (CO)? Each year, Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week is observed from Nov. 1-7, and the City of Vaughan is taking this opportunity to remind residents of the risks CO can pose and ways you can help keep your family safe from this hazard.
Often referred to as the “silent killer,” CO is an invisible, tasteless and odourless gas that can cause serious illnesses and can be deadly. The poisonous gas is produced when fuels such as propane, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil or wood do not burn completely in fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves, barbecues portable heaters and generators, or vehicles.
Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea and dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and death. If you or others in your household or building have these symptoms, get outdoors and call 911 immediately. If your CO alarm sounds and no one is suffering from symptoms of CO poisoning, check to see if the battery needs replacing or if the alarm has reached its "end-of-life" before calling 911.
Fortunately, CO incidents are preventable, and Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service has the following tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe:
- Remember to change the batteries in your CO and smoke alarms when you change your clocks – in the spring and fall.
- Test all CO and smoke alarms each month.
- Change your CO alarms every five years.
- Check and clean all fuel-burning appliances every year.
- During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow.
- Never heat your home with a gas stove or use a gas-powered generator inside.
- Never use a barbecue, charcoal or hibachi grill in the home or an enclosed area.
Daylight savings is on Sunday, Nov. 1, which means clocks will go back one hour. This is the perfect time to change the batteries in both your CO and smoke alarms.
Remember, your CO alarm sounds different than your smoke alarm. Test both alarms monthly and make sure everyone in your home knows the difference between the two alarm sounds. It’s also important to know the difference between the CO alarm’s low-battery warning, end-of-life warning and emergency alarm – consult the CO alarm manufacturer’s instructions.
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