Mangano Offers Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips To Nassau County Residents
As the winter weather approaches, the threat of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning greatly increases. Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano reminds Nassau residents to make sure their home’s carbon monoxide detectors are working, and encourages residents to install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes if they have not already done so.
Every home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector, and the batteries should be checked regularly. Properly working smoke alarms and CO detectors could ultimately be the difference between life and death,” said County Executive Mangano. “Carbon monoxide poisoning is very serious. Because you cannot see or smell the gas in the air, you do not know you are being exposed until you start to experience symptoms. If the poisoning occurs at night while you are sleeping, you may not even experience symptoms until it is too late.”
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and poisonous gas that can deprive the body of oxygen. Exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide can lead to headaches, sleepiness, fatigue, and confusion and can have long term effects on overall health. At higher levels, it can result in nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, impaired vision and coordination. At very high levels it can cause unconsciousness and death. Because these symptoms can be similar to the flu, many people do not realize that carbon monoxide poisoning is the source of their illness.
In addition to installing CO detectors, County Executive Mangano offers the following tips for preventing carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors.
- Have your chimney checked or cleaned every year. Chimneys can be blocked by debris, and this can cause CO to build up inside the home.
- Never use a gas range or oven for heating.
- Make sure gas appliances have adequate ventilation so that carbon monoxide will not accumulate
- Never use a charcoal grill or a barbecue indoors
- Never use a generator inside the home, basement, or garage or near a window, door, or vent.
- Never run a car or truck in the garage with the garage door shuts. Carbon monoxide can build up quickly while the vehicle is running. Additionally, never run your car or truck inside a garage that is attached to the house, and always open the door to any garage to let in fresh air.
In 2010, a New York State law went into effect requiring the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in all new and existing one and two-family residences, multifamily dwellings and rentals having any fuel-burning appliance, system or attached garage. Amanda’s Law was named in honor of a Buffalo teenager named Amanda Hansen, who lost her life to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from a defective boiler when sleeping over at a friend’s house in January of 2009.
“It is important to raise awareness of the vital role that carbon monoxide detectors play,” said County Executive Mangano.
