Safety Sense

Prevent CO Poisoning

Posted

(NAPSI)—Each year, more than 400 people die from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and more than 20,000 visit the emergency room. CO poisoning can be prevented with a few precautions:

What To Do

• Never use portable electric generators, charcoal grills or other similar devices inside your home, garage or in any confined area that can let carbon monoxide collect.

• Have your chimney, fireplace and woodstoves inspected before every heating season.

• Turn off space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep.

• Never run your car engine for more than a few moments in a garage, even if the door to the outside is open. Fumes can build up quickly and can spread to the living area of your home.

• Look for clues that home appliances may be malfunctioning. Common indicators include decreased hot water supply, soot on appliances, moisture inside windows, and furnaces not heating properly.

• Install at least one carbon monoxide detector, connected to a monitoring center that operates 24/7, on every level of your home. Real protection comes from ADT—keeping your family safe from poisonous CO gas that can cause dizziness, unconsciousness and possibly death if undetected.

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