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Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week - Biz X magazine
31
Oct

Stay Safe and Informed: Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week Kicks Off

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness Week runs November 1 to 7, 2024. For this year’s campaign, Windsor Fire & Rescue Services is reminding everyone to recognize the health risks and danger CO poses and offering tips, suggestions, and advice on how to protect your family and stay safe.

“Having a working carbon monoxide alarm in your home is the surest way to know you and your family are protected from exposure to and injury from a carbon monoxide leak,” said Fire Chief Stephen Laforet. “Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas, making it impossible to detect without a working carbon monoxide alarm.”

Each year, communities throughout Ontario observe Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week to promote the use of alarms and educate residents about CO — covering prevention, health risks of poisoning, and steps to take in case of a leak.

By law in Ontario, CO alarms are required to be installed outside all sleeping areas of homes with a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, or attached garage.

“The importance of having a carbon monoxide alarm installed outside all sleeping areas and the role it plays in preventing deaths cannot be stressed enough,” says Jon Pegg, Ontario’s Fire Marshal. “The law is in place to save lives, and only a working carbon monoxide alarm will identify the presence of a carbon monoxide leak in your home before it’s too late.”

The City of Windsor reminds everyone that carbon monoxide exposure can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse, loss of consciousness, and death. Safety starts with awareness – practice the following and protect yourself and loved ones from carbon monoxide:

  • Test carbon monoxide alarms each month and change the batteries at least once a year using Day Light Savings Time changes as a reminder (“change your clocks, change your batteries”).
  • Have fuel-burning appliances – furnace, gas stove, fireplace – annually inspected by a trained, certified technician to check for a leak at the source.
  • Ensure all chimneys and vents are clean and clear of obstructions.
  • If a carbon monoxide alarm activates or you suspect someone in your home has symptoms of CO poisoning, immediately go outside and call 9-1-1.
  • Never use a barbecue, portable fuel-burning camping equipment, or gas-powered generators indoors.
Guest Writer