Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning occurs when carbon monoxide builds up in the bloodstream following acute exposure. When there is an excess of carbon monoxide 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 Cincinnati, Ohio Toxic Tort and Personal Injury Attorney, representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of civil litigation claims.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

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:

• Memory problems
• Dull headache
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Loss of consciousness
  

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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:

• Confusion
• Memory problems
• Coordination difficulties
  Severe CO gas poisoning may cause long-term health problems that may include:
• Heart damage (coronary heart disease)
• Brain damage—acute carbon monoxide poisoning may result in irreversible neurological effects like a progressive worsening of memory and concentration. Rare cases of CO poisoning have been linked with the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
• Urinary incontinence
• Carbon monoxide exposure can be dangerous during pregnancy for both the mother and the developing fetus. Pregnant women and babies are more susceptible.

Sources of Carbon Monoxide Exposure

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:

• Running car engines in enclosed spaces—leaving a car in a closed garage with its engine running can produce deadly amounts of CO within 10 minutes.
• Generators and propulsion engines on houseboats
• Other vehicle exhausts
• Fuel burning furnaces
• CPAP machines
• Coal burning power plants
• Small gasoline engines
• Portable generators
• Defective Grills
• Fire places
• Charcoal grills
• Marine engines
• Forklifts
• Propane-powered heaters
• Gas water heaters
• Kerosene heaters
• Blocked flues and chimneys
• Fumes from paint removers and cleaning fluids

CO Exposure Prevention

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:

• Ensure Workplace Ventilation
• Equip all employees with masks and respirators when handling toxic materials
• Do not leave gasoline-powered motors running
• Do not use a generator near company windows or air intakes
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms at workplaces
  

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Keyless Car Hazards

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.

CPAP Machine Injury

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.

Ohio Carbon Monoxide Injuries

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:

• Keep gas appliances in good working order, and use them safely
• Do not operate gasoline-powered engines or tools inside buildings or in partially enclosed areas
• Do not use gas ranges or ovens for heating purposes
• Make sure all rooms of a house or workplace are well-ventilated and that vents are unobstructed
• Have chimneys and flues regularly swept
• Wear a mask when using products that contain methylene chloride—methylene chloride turns into CO when it is inhaled
• Do not leave gasoline-powered motors running in a garage (motorbikes, cars, or lawn mowers)
• Do not use charcoal on an indoor barbecue
• Do not use a generator within 20 feet of a window, door or air intake
• Service motor exhaust pipes on a motor vehicle regularly
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms at home and workplaces