Director of Commerce Donna Owens encourages Ohioans to pay close attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning this winter. During the most recent five-year period available, an average of 32 Ohioans have died each year from carbon monoxide poisoning. The Department of Commerce's Division of State Fire Marshal is offering tips to reduce the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas which replaces oxygen in the bloodstream. Mild CO poisoning feels like the flu, but more serious poisoning can lead to breathing difficulty or even death. Just how sick people get from CO exposure varies greatly from person to person, depending on one’s age, overall health, the concentration of the exposure, and length of exposure. High concentrations are dangerous even for a short time.

The two most common sources of carbon monoxide poisoning are:

1. vehicles running in an attached garage

2. home heating and cooking equipment

"Ohioans should protect themselves by safely operating vehicles (particularly in attached garages) and by properly installing, using and maintaining household cooking and heating equipment," State Fire Marshal James McNamee said.

• If you need to warm up a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting the ignition, Fire Marshal McNamee said. Do not run a vehicle, even if the garage doors are open. CO from a running vehicle inside an attached garage can get inside the house, even with the garage door open. Normal circulation inside the house does not provide enough fresh air to reliably prevent dangerous accumulations.

• Fuel-burning household heating equipment (furnaces, water heaters, and space heaters) should be checked every year by a qualified heating contractor or service technician. The best time to check this equipment would be prior to the heating season, but it can be done at any time.

Fire Marshal McNamee also said that Ohioans may want to install CO detectors inside their homes to provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide. However, he noted that a CO detector is no substitute for the safe use and maintenance of a smoke detector on every level of a home. Smoke detectors react to fire by-products and provide an early warning of a fire, providing more time to escape.

Household carbon monoxide detectors measure how much CO has accumulated. CO detectors sound an alarm when a low level concentration of CO exists in the air. The alarm may sound before people feel particularly sick.

If anyone shows signs of CO poisoning, everyone should leave the building immediately, leaving the doors open. Use a neighbor’s phone to report the CO alarm and get immediate medical attention.

If you purchase a CO detector, select one that is approved by a recognized testing laboratory, Fire Marshal McNamee said. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for placement in the home and test the detector at least once a month.

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