CO- The Silent Killer
What exactly is carbon monoxide?
A molecule of carbon monoxide contains one carbon atom and one oxygen atom thus making up CO.
Carbon monoxide has very few natural sources (volcanos and bushfires). The majority of CO is created by human-produced sources, such as fossil fuel and biomass burning. Areas of heavy traffic have a higher CO concentration rate as it is a result of automobile emissions. Burning charcoal, coal, wood, and appliances that run on natural gas, LP gas, oil, and kerosene produce CO as a by-product of incomplete burning.
What are the risks?
Scientists are saying that the health effects for 1-70 ppm concentrations are different for people with health conditions as they will feel the effects more. However, when the levels start to rise above the 70 ppm concentration mark, symptoms will become more noticeable (headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath). Higher levels of concentration can lead to disorientation, unconsciousness, and even death.
This is why we set our gas detectors to alarm anywhere inside of the 30 ppm to 200 ppm range.
What are some ways to take preventative measures?
All work environments should conduct a risk assessment and make sure that the proper measures are taken for identified risks. The team at Encore takes gas detection very seriously as it an important aspect of life.
If your employees are working in an area that has fluctuating carbon monoxide levels, we highly recommend that each worker wears a CO monitor, whether it be a single gas unit or a multi-gas unit. Our monitors show the real-time reading of CO that is in the air at any moment. If the levels slip inside of the set range (30-200 ppm), the unit will go into alarm with visual, audible, and vibrational alerts. With this clear warning, it is easy to detect a risky situation.