As Ken said, it is sneeky stuff, if you don't know the warning signs of carbon monoxide you reduce your chances by a lot, Doc said we had about 20 minutes to go and we would not have made it so my tolerance is very low and I get a headache very early, 400 ppm can be a leathal dose if you breathe it long enough, plus, its odorless and tasteless, you don't know it's there. Stay safe, Jeffco
Here is the list of symtoms
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Confusion/Memory loss
- Disorientation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abnormal reflexes
- Difficulty in coordinating
- Difficulty in breathing
- Chest Pain
- Cerebral Edema
- Convulsions/Seizures
- Coma
- Death
If you around around anything burning any fuel it could be co poisoning. The worst part is if you are resting the co bonds to your blood significantly easier then oxygen (like 100 times) You breath it in and your blood carries it through your body, causing the poisoning by displacing the oxygen from your blood.
IF you happen realize whats happening, and go to get out of there, the bodys demand for oxygen in the blood skyrockets from rest mode to active mode. At which point many people pass out, before they can escape the environment. It is heavier then air and hard to get out out a room. Many people sleep right through to their death.
We we staying in a 10 by 24 ft construction trailer, with a professionally installed lpg furnace with a c vent through the wall. The trailer got moved weekly through the summer months and this was the first night we needed heat in the fall. I guess the body of the furnace became cracked from several years of transportation, and that night not burning right, therefore giving off CO
About 1.5 hours after retiring for the night I still had not fallen asleep, I was restless, tossing and turning, sweaty and my hair felt really dirty. I got up, not wanting to disturbed the others, and went outside and within a couple of minutes began feeling some better.
Suspecting CO poisoning (but being a bit ignorant about how it works and the symptoms) I shut off the gas supply and returned inside to check with my father, who as it happened, was having trouble sleeping too, I got him up, brought up my suspicions and when he went outside, but could barely stand without falling.
The 3d fellow Gary was asleep, said he felt fine when I woke him, but when I roused him out of bed he walked about 10 steps to the door where he fell/sat in the door way, but at least in fresh air.
We had a 12v 14" radiator fan to remove hot air from the trailer in the summer. We attempted to ventilate the area as its midnight and we are tired and miles from no where. but even after 15 mins with it on high going back inside caused me to vomit within a minute.
I called 911 to get more info, which they confirmed it as being likely CO and dispatched a ambulance despite my protest. 1.5 hours in the bush from a paved road and another hr to the nearest hospital, our address is a UTM coordinate. So we drove to meet them, thinking they would never find us.
Luckily the forestry roads were familiar to one of the ambulance crew. and they met us 20 kms from the hwy. The put Dad and Gary in the bus and on oxygen and I followed to town. We spent several hours on oxygen once we got there.
From what they told us at the hospital, 2.5 hours after we left the contaminated trailer, we should have all been dead based on levels of our blood tests.
Needless to say I don't sleep well without a CO detector near by anymore. I have a hard time tolerating a vehicle running in the shop just for short periodsof time. Even welding indoors will set off my CO alarm
If you work or sleep anywhere near a combustion process you really should educate yourself
http://www.carbonmonoxidekills.com
Sorry for the long post, butI hope it helps someone.
Ken
