We've all heard about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in a garage: if the garage door is closed and a car's engine is running, the room can quickly fill with the odorless, invisible and deadly gas. But the dangers from carbon monoxide are more prevalent than we might initially think.
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is probably the most hazardous substance that we all come into contact with on a regular basis. The gas is created anytime fuel is burned - such as gasoline, kerosene, wood or natural gas. In most situations, the CO released is negligible and not harmful. But if equipment is not working or maintained properly, or if the CO doesn't have an opportunity to disperse (such as in the garage example), it can cause nausea, fainting and even death.
Around the home, be careful not to use anything that burns fuel, such as a gas stove or oven, a lawnmower, a kerosene space heater, or a generator, in an enclosed space without ventilation. If you feel at all dizzy or faint, don't ignore it-ventilate the room or just get out of the house. If you do nothing, you could lose consciousness and eventually even die.
Lake Powell Houseboat Tragedy
Carbon monoxide can even be deadly outdoors, as the family of one 7-year-old girl learned while on vacation at Lake Powell in 2007. The girl was swimming with a friend near the dock where her family's boat was moored. Both girls received CO poisoning and passed out, and while the victim's friend was discovered by her mother in time to save her, the other girl was not as fortunate and drowned.
The CO poisoning in this case was attributed to calm winds that day, allowing the carbon monoxide to build up in the boat dock area. And surprisingly, this wasn't the first time this had happened on Lake Powell. A similar incident happened at the lake's Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in 2002, when a girl was found drowned in just four inches of water, after she had been washing her hair near the exhaust of a cabin cruiser boat.
Proactively Protect against CO Poisoning
As these examples indicate, CO poisoning is serious, even outdoors. Proper care must be taken to avoid any sort of engine exhaust, and boaters should run their engines sparingly when anchored. Other times, CO poisoning is the result of negligence on the part of equipment manufacturers or installers. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, get out of the affected area, fast. And if you believe the poisoning could be caused by faulty equipment, contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can advise you of your legal rights.
