During the cold winter months, carbon monoxide poisoning becomes an increased health risk because people are more likely to have their home heating systems turned on. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colourless and tasteless and exposure can cause flu-like symptoms, including: fatigue, headaches, dizziness, confusion or disorientation, and vomiting. Prolonged exposure has even been known to be fatal, so it is important that your system is regularly checked.

Fatalities
Unfortunately, the true fatality rate is mostly unknown because not all deaths are reported to Poison Control Centres. In the United States during 2008, for example, it was reported that 47 deaths occurred as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, but experts believe that this number is significantly higher because incidents are simply not reported or because they are put down to illness, such as the flu. To ensure that your family doesn’t become just another statistic, it is important to ensure that there are no leaks in your system.

Tune Up
Even a basic tune up for your home heating system can help to ensure that it is working safely and efficiently. A technician will conduct a full inspection of the pipes, boiler, radiators, ducts and other components to ensure that they are in good working order. They will also make any adjustments or repairs needed to prevent possible leaks. A technician will also likely check all of the controls to ensure that it is being used safely and shutting off properly. This will also help to protect against potential fire hazards, as well as carbon monoxide poisoning.

Tips
In addition to ensuring that your heating system is well maintained and in a state of good repair, you should pay heed to the following tips:

• Never use charcoal or kerosene in your fireplace (if you have one) and never use a charcoal or gas grill inside the home or even in an enclosed outdoor entertaining area.
• Whenever you use your fireplace (if you have one) make sure that the flue is open and that the chimney is free of blockages. Birds, for example, like to make their nests here.
• If you are worried about poisoning, install a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Larger ones will require more than one detector to ensure that you are protected.
• Never run a generator inside your home, basement, garage or enclosed entertaining areas. If you must have a generator, keep it outside and far away from the house.
• Never leave your car running in the garage (even if the door is open) and never sleep in a parked car whilst the engine is running, as your vehicle produces carbon monoxide.

As you can see, protecting your family against the dangers of moderate to serious carbon monoxide poisoning is actually quite a simple process once you know what you are doing. By ensuring that you heed all of the above tips and regularly have your home heating system serviced, you can ensure that there is no way carbon monoxide is leaking somewhere in your home. This should allow you to rest easy, even when the weather outside is cold.

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