Approximately 250 people in the United States died last year from the "Silent Killer"--carbon monoxide (CO). This deadly gas is hard to detect because it is odorless, colorless, and tasteless.
The safety experts at Underwriters Laboratories recommend that consumers follow these steps to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
• Have a qualified technician inspect fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, hot water heaters, and stoves at least once each year.
• Be aware that CO poisoning may be the cause of flu-like symptoms such as headaches, tightness of chest, dizziness, fatigue, confusion, and breathing difficulties.
• Because most CO poisonings occur at night, install a CO detector with an alarm outside sleeping areas. Test the detector weekly and replace the battery at least once a year. Do not ignore the alarm if it goes off.
• Don't leave vehicles running in an enclosed garage--not even to "warm up" your car on a cold morning.
For more information, visit http://www.extension.org/pages/Preventing_Carbon_Monoxide_Poisoning.
