- 2nd January 2016
- admin
The following symptoms may be related to CO poisoning which all household members should be made aware of:
- Mild Exposure: Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue (Often described as ‘flu-like’ symptoms)
- Medium Exposure: Severe throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast heart rate
- Extreme Exposure: Unconsciousness, convulsions, cardiorespiratory failure, death
Your Smart Compliance CO detector monitors the levels of CO as parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere surrounding the detector.
35ppm
The maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure to healthy adults in and 8 hour period, as recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
200ppm
Slight headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea after 2-3 hours.
400ppm
Frontal headaches within 1-2 hours, life threatening after 3 hours.
800ppm
Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 minutes. Unconsciousness within 2 hours. Death within 2-3 hours.
Should you suspect CO may be affecting you or your family, open the doors and windows of your property to ventilate, turn off your appliances and evacuate the premise. At this time the authorities should be contacted to locate the source of the carbon monoxide before re-entering the building. Medical attention should be sought for anyone suffering the effects of CO poisoning (headache, nausea)
Common sources of CO
- Oil and gas boilers
- Portable generators
- Oil or solid fuel cookers
- Gas or paraffin heaters
- Barbecues
- Clogged chimneys
- Gas, wood, coal or coke fireplaces
- Cigarette smoke
- Gas appliances
- Any fossil fuel burning appliance
WARNING: This Smart Compliance carbon monoxide detector is designed for detecting carbon monoxide only .
This CO detector should not be seen as a substitute for the proper installation, use, and maintenance of fuel-burning appliances (including appropriate ventilation and exhaust systems), nor the sweeping of chimneys. Please follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for each appliance.
WARNING: Do not use this carbon monoxide detector on an intermittent basis, or as a portable detector for trying to trace one source of the spillage of combustion products from fuel-burning appliances or from chimneys.
Do Not:
- IGNORE ANY WARNING OR MESSAGE FROM YOUR CO DETECTOR!
- Burn charcoal inside your home, caravan, tent or cabin
- Install, convert or service fuel burning appliances without proper knowledge, skill and experience
- Use a gas cooker for heating a room
- Operate unvented gas burning appliances using paraffin or natural gas in closed rooms
- Operate petrol-powered engines indoors or in confined areas
- Ignore a safety device when it shuts an appliance off
Always:
- Buy appliances accepted by a recognised testing laboratory
- Install appliances according to manufacturer’s instructions
- Have your appliances checked regularly by a qualified service engineer
- Have appliance installations carried out by professionals (for gas appliances engineers should be registered)
- Have your chimneys and flues cleaned professionally every year
- Make regular visual inspections of all fuel-burning appliances
- Do not barbecue indoors, or in an attached garage
- Open windows when a fireplace or oil/solid fuel cooker is in use
- Only install CO detectors that meet the requirements of BS EN 502191-1:2010 in your home
- Be aware of CO poisoning symptoms
EDUCATE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY ON THE SOURCES AND SYMPTOMS OF THE CO POISONING AND HOW TO USE YOUR CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR