Health officials warn of CO in summer

STATE — Health officials from Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MECDC) have issued an advisory to warn people of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to avoid it this summer.

According to MECDC Director Dr. Sheila Pinette, every year MECDC gets a handful of reports of poisonings that could have been avoided in some way.

“You have to know how to prevent yourself from getting poisoned by carbon monoxide so a day of fun doesn't become a day of tragedy,” she says.

While people take caution to avoid CO poisoning during the winter months, they should also be cautious during the summer, she says.

Activities like swimming behind a boat or hanging off a ski deck while the engine is running are just some of the risky situations to be in.

State Toxicologist Andrew Smith says that many past summer poisonings are a result of blocked venting for propane refrigerators that many people have in their camps. Repairing small engines in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces is also dangerous, he says.

CO is a highly-toxic, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas created by appliances or engines that burn gasoline, propane or kerosene.

Symptoms of CO poisoning can include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness and confusion. Carbon monoxide poisoning can also cause coma and even death, reports MECDC. 

For that reason, MECDC offers tips to avoid CO poisoning. 

It advises to check vents for propane-powered appliances in your camp and make sure appliances are working properly.

Check or replace the battery each summer. If your CO alarm goes off, evacuate your home and call 911.

Also, if you go off-roading and get stuck in water or mud, immediately check if the exhaust is blocked. In this case, MECDC says to evacuate the vehicle and draw as much fresh air into the vehicle as possible to vent it.

Even if you crack a door or window, don't run a car, lawnmower, or any other engine inside an enclosed space. Lastly, don't swim behind a boat when the motor is running.

According to Maine law, CO detectors are required in all rental units –  including seasonal rentals and new single-family homes – and in existing single-family homes whenever there is a transfer of ownership or an addition of one or more bedrooms. The law applies to camps and seasonal homes as well, reports MECDC.

Each year in Maine, CO poisoning causes more than 100 emergency department visits and between 1-5 deaths. In 90 percent of the cases, carbon monoxide detectors are not present where the poisonings occur.