You can’t see carbon monoxide, you can’t smell it and it can kill you quickly.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning. Hundreds of people die each year and thousands of others become ill because of CO, according to the CDC.
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There are steps you can take to help keep yourself and your family protected from carbon monoxide. The risk of CO poisoning rises in the winter months, especially during power outages.
CO is found in fumes created anytime you burn fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges or furnaces. It can build up indoors and poison people and animals who breathe it.
Read: Winter safety tips: How to prepare as dangerous pre-Christmas storm approaches Michigan
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
According to the CDC, the most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.
When you inhale CO, your body replaces the oxygen in your blood with CO. Red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they pick up oxygen.
Breathing in too much CO can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have any symptoms.
If you suspect you or a family member has carbon monoxide poisoning, get fresh air immediately and call 911.
How much do you know about carbon monoxide? Take this 5 question quiz from the CDC:
Install carbon monoxide detectors
You should have battery-operated or battery back-up CO detectors near every sleeping area in your home.
You should check or replace the detector’s battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. Place the detector where it will wake you up if it alarms. Detectors with digital readouts can tell you the highest level of CO concentration in your home. Replace the CO detector every five years.
Keep portable generators outside
Never use a generator inside your home, basement, or garage, even if doors and windows are open.
Generators should only run outside and need to be at least 20 feet away from your home, doors and windows.
If you are worried someone will steal your generator, lock it to a tree or fence.
Read: How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators
Heating and appliance safety tips
You should have your heating system inspected every year. That includes a water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal-burning appliances.
Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors. Do not use a portable gas camp stove inside. Do not burn charcoal indoors.
If you have gas appliances, make sure they are running correctly and are vented properly. Do not use a gas range or oven for warmth.
You should have your chimney checked or cleaned every year. If a chimney is blocked by debris, it can cause CO to build up inside your home or cabin.
Never patch a vent pipe with tape, gum or something else. A patch like that can make CO build up inside your home.
Read: How to keep your pets safe amid dangerously cold winter weather
Avoid CO poisoning from vehicles
Never run your car or truck inside a garage that is attached to a house, even if the garage door is open. Always open the door to a detached garage to let fresh are in if you are running a vehicle inside.
If you drive a car or SUV with a tailgate, when you open the tailgate you should open the vents or windows to make sure air moves through the vehicle. If only the tailgate is open, CO from the exhaust will be pulled into the vehicle.
More resources are available from the CDC, click here.