KU-EHS December Safety Tip: Carbon Monoxide Safety

Carbon monoxide, also known as CO, is a deadly gas. It's colorless, odorless and tasteless, making it impossible to detect by human senses. When Co is breathed in, it quickly replaces the oxygen in the bloodstream. Various stages of illness can easily lead up to unconsciousness and death.

To protect yourself at work and home, recognize the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

  • Sleepiness
  • Fatigue
  • Pain or tightness across the chest
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea

If exposure continues, you become confused, weak, vomit, convulse and eventually collapse.

WHAT TO DO IF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE FELT:

  • Open windows and doors
  • Turn off fuel-burning appliances
  • Leave the building
  • Seek medical attention.

WHAT IF YOU THINK SOMEONE ELSE IS A CO-VICTIM?

  • Quickly move victim into fresh air
  • Call 911 or emergency assistance
  • Administer oxygen
  • Start CPR

Workplace locations where employees could encounter carbon monoxide include:

  • A kitchen with a malfunctioning gas over or range
  • Gas-powered water heater in need of servicing
  • An underground parking garage
  • Air intake location on a loading dock
  • A boiler room where ventilation is defective.