

It’s also affordable and will save you money over time. Regular maintenance is your best line of defence against CO poisoning. You may have no idea that something is wrong until it’s too late. Every fuel-burning heating appliance - new or old - has the potential to generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) without any obvious signs of failure. The old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” does not apply to fuel-burning heating appliances. the system effectively vents CO outside.there's enough fresh air coming into the room containing your fuel-burning appliance and.A qualified technician will make sure that: If you have a chimney or flue, ensure it's not blocked up with:įresh-air vents must not be covered by items such as furniture or clothing. Keep your air freshĬO needs to be vented outside. Only certified oil-burner mechanics can get permits for installing or modifying oil-fired appliances. the Building Safety and Standards branch.Building Inspections if you're in Whitehorse city limits or.Checking references is a good way to ensure high-quality work.īefore initiating any work such as installing, modifying or maintaining your fuel-burning appliances, find out whether you need a permit or a certified journeyperson. Use a qualified technicianĪlways ensure that any fuel-burning appliances - and the supporting ventilation systems - are installed, cleaned and maintained by a qualified technician. The best way to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) exposure is to eliminate this poisonous gas at the source. Snowmobiles and vehicles running inside an attached garage or near a home’s fresh air intake can significantly increase carbon monoxide levels. These are just some common examples of spaces that can fill up very quickly with enough CO to cause severe, long-term injury or death. Carbon monoxide can become a problem in any confined space heated by a fuel-burning appliance: Poor ventilation contributes to CO build-up in homes, because the gas cannot vent outside. When CO is a problemĬO levels can increase to unhealthy levels when fuel-burning heating appliances are not: That’s why home heating systems are designed to continuously vent CO (and other gases created during the burning process) outside. The most common carbon monoxide source is the fuel-burning heating appliance that keeps your home warm in the winter months. All rights reserved.To prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, you have to go to the source. Only the synopsis of all findings permits a sound assessment regarding the manner and cause of death.Ĭopyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. The limited possibilities of proving lethal CO2 intoxications post-mortem necessitate a close cooperation of the involved parties during investigation. In another case, a 48-year-old man working in a restaurant committed suicide by closing himself in a walk-in refrigerator and opening the stored carbon dioxide containers intended for the beverage dispensing equipment. In one case, a 53-year-old man tightly sealed a small bathroom and locked himself in it likely with dry ice. This paper presents two uncommon suicides by carbon dioxide intoxication. Very few cases of self-inflicted and deliberate carbon dioxide poisonings have been reported. Among these intoxications, gases are rarely used, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). Suicides by self-poisoning are common in all parts of the world.
