Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when carbon monoxide builds up in the bloodstream following acute exposure. When there is an excess of carbon monoxide (CO) in the air the body replaces oxygen in red blood cells with carbon monoxide, quickly leading to serious tissue damage, neurological health issues or even death.
Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by burning gas, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel. Improperly ventilated appliances and engines, particularly in enclosed spaces, may allow carbon monoxide to build up to dangerous levels and cause harm to homeowners or employees.
Exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) may be due to the negligence of a small engine operator, defective gas detectors, or workplace management failing to properly ventilate a workspace that has one or more engines running. Employees may fall ill due to toxic exposure, and although most cases of carbon monoxide injuries and poisoning are mild, some serious complications may result.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Toxic Tort and Personal Injury Attorney, representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of civil litigation claims.
Some people exposed to CO may feel as if they have the flu, but without a fever. If multiple people in the same building have the same symptoms, CO poisoning should be suspected and all gas cooking and heating appliances should be turned off, all windows opened, and safety authorities notified.
The longer individuals are exposed to carbon monoxide, the more severe the symptoms. Within the first few hours of exposure, a person may experience the following:
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Usually the symptoms are mild, and there is a full recovery if exposure to the gas is identified and stopped. However, symptoms may occur much later after inhaling CO gas, including:
If household appliances are well-serviced and used safely, they should produce only negligible quantities of gas. Failing to service old appliances may lead to a higher risk of CO exposure.
Appliances such as gas fireplaces, boilers, central heating systems, water heaters, and gas cookers may be possible sources of carbon monoxide. Other sources may include the following:
Awareness of the risk is first and foremost. To keep a safe work environment, it is important to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Employers are responsible for educating workers about the sources and work conditions that may result in CO poisoning.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published basic precautions to protect workers. Employers can reduce the risks associated with CO exposure with the following:
One very common modern convenience in new automobiles may lead to serious injuries and deaths. Keyless ignitions have allegedly led to the carbon monoxide poisoning deaths of more than two dozen people nationwide since 2006. Reports say many other American consumers have been injured, and some left with brain damage.
Keyless ignitions now come standard in over half of new vehicles sold in the United States each year. Rather than carrying a physical key, drivers have a fob that transmits a radio signal, and cars start with the touch of a button. But when accustomed to the habit of turning and removing a key to shut off the motor, many drivers exit their vehicles mistakenly thinking that the car has been turned off.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed safety regulations that may be instituted for very little cost. But the auto industry has pushed back, and while a rule is still under consideration, injuries and deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning are still reported. Regulators are currently relying on carmakers to install warning features voluntarily, though most have failed to do so.
Some automakers have software that alerts drivers if an engine is left running, like Ford’s keyless vehicles that automatically shut off after 30 minutes of idling if the key is not in the vehicle.
Many older vehicles have not been fixed to reduce CO poisoning hazards, despite the small expense of making adjustments. The number of carbon monoxide poisoning deaths grows, the hazard is widespread and litigation against auto companies is mounting.
The keyless ignition was introduced the American market in 2002 and the exact number of carbon monoxide deaths related to keyless-ignition vehicles is unknown. In 2016, the NHTSA safety agency investigated at least four fatal incidents. From independent reports, lawsuits, and police records, The New York Times identified 28 deaths and 45 injuries since 2006.
Several reports each year describe a dangerous situation where a car is left running in the garage, and a home fills with carbon monoxide, linking keyless vehicles to CO poisoning accidents.
Such incidents concerned the Society of Automotive Engineers enough to develop recommended practices to address keyless ignition CO hazards. The group’s recommendations to carmakers included installing audible or visual alerts or engine automatic shut-off.
The traffic safety administration has also proposed a key rule that would require car manufacturers to provide internal and external alerts that could reduce incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning. Such safety features would cost the auto industry less than half a million dollars a year in software coding for millions of keyless vehicles, a very small price to pay for lives lost to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
The safety agency has not adopted the keyless ignition however, and at least 21 people have died of related accidents. No federal agency actually keeps records of carbon monoxide injury and death stats involving keyless vehicles, so numbers may be grossly underestimated.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and deprives the heart, brain and vital organs of oxygen. Victims who survive may have irreversible brain damage.
The Coast Guard has mandated recalls of certain houseboats to redirect the generator exhaust beyond the swimming platform space. Houseboat manufacturers have posted warning labels to advise houseboat users to stay away from swimming platforms when engines are running.
A problem has been that carbon monoxide does not quickly dissipate and can remain after engines are shut down. Houseboat warning labels often tell users to stay out of the water when engines are running, but may not explicitly warn about CO buildups. Many monohull houseboats are still manufactured with a dangerous exhaust design, making swimming platforms more dangerous than necessary.
The carbon monoxide poisoning issue goes beyond only monohull houseboats, however. Since all combustion engines produce CO, all boat owners should be aware of a potential risk. Another risk may be rafting boats together or mooring a houseboat against a dock can trap CO. Other boats may actually be defective by design and there is no safe way to operate them without the risk of CO poisoning.
Defective CPAP machines can cause serious injuries and deaths when they malfunction and deliver carbon monoxide to the end user. A defective CPAP machine that delivers CO2 can cause seizures and brain damage.
CPAP injuries may be more common than most consumers think, and CPAP malfunction can lead to unfortunate circumstances and product liability lawsuits.
To keep a safe household or workplace, it is important to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has offered some basic guidelines to prevent CO gas leakage to protect homeowners and workers. The following can help reduce the risks associated with CO exposure:
Toxic exposure cases help empower employees to fight for their right to be protected, satisfactorily informed, and to stay safe. They also bring awareness to challenge and higher the expectations of companies who are not serving their employees justly.
The Lyon Firm aggressively, professionally, and passionately advocates for injured individuals and families against companies due to a defective product or recalled product to obtain just compensation under the law.
(Hamilton County, Ohio): Confidential Settlement. Lead Counsel in a case that involved secondary lead exposure to two children. Their father worked at a local recycling plant that routinely recycled computer equipment. The company violated numerous OSHA regulations related to providing safety equipment and clothing to prevent lead particles from being transferred home. As a result, the Plaintiffs father transferred lead dust to his children who then suffered lead poisoning. The case was covered extensively by the Cincinnati news media and referenced in peer-reviewed medical literature. The settlement will provide educational needs to the children who suffered neurological injuries due the exposure.
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