More than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here are 5 safety tips the National Fire Protection Association says you should know to prevent CO poisoning:
- CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
- Test CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.
- A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
- Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.
At least one person was found dead and three others were sickened in a Koreatown apartment Thursday, with carbon monoxide poisoning suspected as the cause. The entire apartment complex at 920 S. Hobart Blvd., near Olympic Boulevard, was red-tagged as a result.
