LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) –The Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center at Wayne State University has issued carbon monoxide advisories as the weather cools and the use of fuel-powered appliances increases.
The advisories come just days after a close call with carbon monoxide for a Brighton-area family of five. The Brighton Area Fire Authority said when it arrived at the home Monday night, it was just in time to evacuate the family before the situation became deadly.
The agency had carried five people, fully or partially unconscious, out of the home, and taken them to a nearby hospital. When the responders sampled the air in the home, they said the levels of carbon monoxide there were deadly.
Carbon monoxide production predominantly happens when a carbon-based fuel, like gas, propane, natural gas, wood or charcoal, doesn’t burn completely in a furnace, water heater, grill, generator or internal combustion engine. The deadly gas is colorless, tasteless, practically odorless and can’t be sensed. Carbon monoxide in the home often results from indoor, near the home, or insufficiently ventilated use of carbon-based fuel appliances.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of a carbon monoxide detector at home, as well as other regular preventive measures to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. The CDC said more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning that isn’t linked to fires.
To learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning, visit the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center by clicking here, or call the center at 1-800-222-1222.
