Recent severe weather has caused power outages, which raises concern about carbon monoxide poisoning. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
- Don't use a gas-powered generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gas or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window or door. Generators should be more than 15 feet from your home when running.
- Don't run a car, truck or any other motor inside a garage or other enclosed space, even if you leave the door open.
- Don't try to heat your house with a gas oven.
- Make sure you have a CO detector with a battery back-up in your home near where people sleep. Check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. You can buy an alarm at most hardware stores or stores that sell smoke detectors. By law, all rental units must have a CO alarm—talk to your landlord if you don’t have one in your apartment or rental house.
- If your CO alarm goes off, get out of the house right away and call 911. Get prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous.
For more information, see this Maine CDC press release: http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=DHS+Press+Releases&id=151572&v=cdc_article
