What Is Effect Of Carbon Monoxide? Is It Poisoning?
What Are The Symptoms? What Care We Should Take To Avoid Accidents?

You can’t see, taste, or smell it but it can be deadly
Natural Draft Burners & nonstandard gas appliances (for example- Gas Geysers/ Gas Fryers ) can produce a highly poisonous gas called carbon monoxide (CO).

What is CO poisoning?

Ans: It can cause death as well as serious long term health problems such as brain damage.
CO is produced by the incomplete burning of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or Natural Gas ( NG ). This happens when gas burners are not maintained, installed in a closed room( bathroom/ basement) where no cross air ventilation, incorrectly fitted, badly repaired, or poorly maintained.
It can also occur if flues gases, chimneys, or vents are blocked or not present at all.
Oil and solid fuels such as coal, wood, petrol, diesel, kerosene, and oil can also produce carbon monoxide.
CO poisoning occurs when you breathe in the gas and it replaces oxygen in your bloodstream. Without oxygen, your body tissue and cells die. Even small amounts of the gas can cause CO poisoning, and long term effects can include paralysis and brain damage.

Remember the six main symptoms to look out for:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Breathlessness
• Collapse
• Loss of consciousness

Being aware of the symptoms could save your life, CO symptoms are similar to those of flu, food poisoning, viral infections, and fatigue. That’s why it’s quite common for people to mistake this very dangerous poisoning for something else.

Other signs that could point to CO poisoning:

Your symptoms only occur when you are at a factory ( Where LPG combustion is taking place) home and seem to disappear when you leave that place.
Others in your Friends, family, Co-workers (including pets) are experiencing similar symptoms and they appear at a similar time.

What to do if you suspect CO poisoning

Get fresh air immediately. Open doors and windows, turn off gas burners & appliances, and leave the premises.
See your doctor immediately or go to the hospital – let them know that you suspect CO poisoning. They can do a blood or breath test to check.
If you think there is an immediate danger, call the Gas Emergency Helpline 1906.
Ask our Liquigas Engineers to inspect your gas burner/ boiler/ furnace/ oven and flues to see if there is a dangerous problem.

To find engineers who are qualified to investigate the presence of fumes, you can visit our Check our Website or business pages or do call us on 022 27700643. We have the latest Gadgets including Gas leak detection system, Flue gas analyzers, Portable blowers, and measuring equipment.

The warning signs of a CO leak
Any of the following could be a sign of CO in your premises:

Flames of a lazy yellow or orange color on your burner tip, rather than being a crisp blue;
Dark staining on/around the combustion chamber, burner head, and a mounting plate of the burner;
Pilot lights that frequently blow out;
Increased condensation inside ventilation.

A faulty burner on your premises can lead to CO poisoning. Get your burner, boiler, and combustion system maintained and cleaned properly.

What can you do about it?

Our advice is clear: the first and the best thing you can do to minimize the risk that your gas appliances produce CO is to ensure that they are safety checked annually by a suitably competent and qualified Liquigas engineer. You can find an engineer on www.liquigasindia.com
If you already have an AMC then an annual check may be included as part of it with flue gas analysis.