Hazardous Waste Education
Winter Hazards and Safety
BRRRRRRR……Jack Frost has taken a vacation in Florida. As the temperatures fall, people find ways to stay warm. The “heating season” brings increased fire risk.
Nationally, more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Locally, many of these devices are usually cosmetic become functional on cold winter days.
Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months. According to the most recent National Fire Protection Agency reports, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 home structure fires, causing 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in direct property damage.
Along with fire deaths, unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning claims more than 500 lives and sends another 15,000 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment annually. CO poisoning is preventable.
Here are steps to take to reduce the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and fires caused by heating devices:
- Install at least one CO alarm near sleeping areas. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside or near sleeping areas. Test them monthly.
- Have a qualified professional check and repair if necessary all fuel burning appliances, furnaces, venting and chimney systems at least annually.
- Never use your range or oven to help heat your home. Never use an outdoor heater in your home or garage.
- Never keep a car running in a garage, even if the garage doors are open.
- Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
- Always use a sturdy metal mesh screen to keep embers within fireplaces.
- Never restrict the air supply to fireplaces.
- Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.
- Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup. Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris.
- When building a fire, place logs to the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate. Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
- Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
- Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home.
- Ensure space heaters have at least three (3) feet away from anything that can burn – including people and pets. Use only heaters that have been tested for safety.
As always, call 911 for any emergency regardless of time or day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.
Where does carbon monoxide come from?
CO gas can come from several sources: gas-fired appliances, charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces and motor vehicles.
How do CO detectors work?
Carbon monoxide detectors measure levels of CO over time and are designed to sound an alarm before an average, healthy adult would experience symptoms. It is very possible that you may not be experiencing symptoms when you hear the alarm. This does not mean that CO is not present.
Who is at risk?
Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning. Medical experts believe that unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens and people with heart or lung problems are at even greater risk for CO poisoning.
Information provided courtesy of the NFPA & the Venice Fire Department
