Stay Safe During Hurricane Season

by Michael Barnaby
 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "in most cases of unintentional poisonings, victims did not realize that carbon monoxide was being produced or building up in the air they were breathing." Home generators most commonly have internal combustion engines fueled by gasoline – the same as automobiles - which produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct of burning.

Known as "The Silent Killer," carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas. Portable generators, which have seen huge sales increases in our county since last year, are the primary source of CO poisoning and deaths during the storm season. And if you think that you’re safe because your unit is housed the garage with the door kept open during use, you’re wrong - and could become dead wrong. According to Lee County Medical Society member Dr. John Bishop, "The risk of carbon monoxide from gasoline and propane engines is too great even if the garage door is left open. All you need is to have the wind blowing inward or not blowing at all." Lanais, porches and under windows are locations that have all been implicated with CO poisoning, and thus should be avoided.

Symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu, and include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness, said Robert South, Ph.D., epidemiologist with the Lee County Health Department. "High levels of CO can cause death." He noted that CO poisoning associated with using fuel-burning products such as generators kills more than 200 people nationwide every year. Closer to home, Division Chief Thomas Tomich of the Cape Coral Fire Department reports that his department responded to thirty five calls of carbon monoxide poisoning following Charlie.

As one part of that department’s Damage Assessment Stage, inspectors with CO detectors went everywhere that they could find the sound of a generator. Tomich found that "over half" the homes and RVs inspected had poison levels far in excess of acceptable."

Dr. Bishop, a hyperbaric physician and member of the Medical Society’s Disaster Planning Committee, flatly states that "Everyone should buy and install a CO monitor. Numerous cases of illness, brain damage and death could be prevented if all homes had these alarms. Buy it, use it correctly, and possibly save a life."

According to the CDC, if you think you are experiencing any of the symptoms of CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Open windows and doors for more ventilation, turn off any combustion appliances, and leave the house. Call the fire department or 911 and report your symptoms. You could lose consciousness and die if you do nothing.