Every year from November 1st to the 7th marks Carbon Monoxide Awareness week with Waterloo Fire Rescue offering tips to make your home safer.
Carbon monoxide is a gas that is invisible, odourless, tasteless and not easily detected without a carbon monoxide alarm or use of specialized gas meter that firefighters use.
John Percy is the Public Education Officer with the City of Waterloo Fire Rescue who said this year's campaign was called, "Beat the Silent Killer: Prevent carbon monoxide in your home."
Exposure to carbon monoxide can come from any fuel-burning appliance within the home like furnaces, hot water heaters, stoves and so on. Over 65% of injuries and deaths from CO in Ontario happen within the home.
He said that people should have their alarms right by sleeping areas.
"Please make sure that in the province of Ontario under the Ontario Fire Code it is actually law, to have a working carbon monoxide alarm near all your sleeping areas in your house," he said.
Exposure from carbon monoxide can cause some flu-like symptoms like headaches, nausea, dizziness, as well as confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and death.
"What we tell people, if in doubt, if you believe it is true monoxide poisoning get yourself and all your love ones outs of the house. Call 911 from outside," Percy said. He emphasizes you should close all windows and doors. People should not air out their homes.
"It makes it very difficult to for our firefighters when they take their gas meters to try to specifically say, it's a faulty furnace or you have a blocked vent," he said.
According to Percy, homeowners should get their fuel-burning appliances inspected yearly to reduce the risk of poisoning.
"We highly recommend that you qualified contractor to come in there, once a year, to make sure that they're working properly, that they're not obstructed or blocked," he said.
For more carbon monoxide safety tips or find a registered contractor near you, visit their website.
Link to original article in Kitchener Today: Waterloo Fire Rescue offers safety tips for Carbon Monoxide Awareness week