Michigan officials are urging residents to check their furnaces and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re working properly this weekend.
Carbon monoxide is known as the “silent killer.” It is a colorless, odorless and tasteless poisonous gas. Most CO poisonings take place at home and are caused by items that are not properly cared for or vented.
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The reminder comes as Daylight Saving Time ends. We all turn back our clocks this Saturday (Nov. 5). You should check your carbon monoxide detectors again when we spring forward in March.
Examples of items that can cause CO poisonings include furnaces, water heaters, generators, gas grills, dryers, lanterns, space heaters, fireplaces, chimneys and gas stoves.
Read: How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators
“Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include flu-like symptoms – headache, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion and nausea,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “If you think you have been exposed, it is important to get into an area with fresh air immediately and seek medical attention.”
According to the CDC, around 50,000 people each year across the country visit the emergency department for accidental CO poisoning. In 2019, there were 1,090 emergency department visits in Michigan for CO poisoning.
At high levels, CO can cause death within minutes. If you believe you are experiencing CO poisoning, or your CO detector alarm goes off, you should go outside immediately for fresh air and then call 911.
Michigan offers the following tips to protect yourself and your family from CO poisoning:
- Make sure you have working CO detectors. Detectors on every level of your home, including the basement, are strongly recommended. Detectors can be purchased at most hardware and big box stores. Daylight saving time is a good time each year to replace the batteries in your detector and push the “Test” button to be sure it’s working properly.
- Change batteries every six months (fall and spring) and replace your detector every five years or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Use a battery-powered detector where you have fuel-burning devices but no electric outlets. Having a CO detector handy when using tents, cabins, RVs and boats with enclosed cabins a good safety practice.
- Have your furnace or wood-burning stove inspected annually. Hire a professional to make sure it is functionally sound and vents properly outside the home.
- Generators should be run at a safe distance (at least 20 feet) from the home. Never run a generator in the home, garage, or right next to windows or doors.
- Never run a car in an enclosed space. If a vehicle is running, you must have a door open to the outside.
- Never run a gasoline or propane heater or a grill (gas or charcoal) inside your home or in an unventilated garage. Any heating system that burns fuel produces CO.
Read: CPSC warns: Stop using these carbon monoxide detectors sold on Amazon