Any Space- Fire & Carbon Monoxide Safety – Place Home Solutions

Fire Safety

Installing a smoke alarm can alert occupants to the presence of a fire but cannot prevent a fire. You should create a fire safety plan by:
• Installing and maintaining the smoke alarm properly
• Keep the device clean
• Testing the device weekly
• Follow fire safety rules and prevent hazardous situations
• Develop an escape plan and practice it with your entire household
• Keep bedroom doors closed while sleeping if smoke alarms are in the rooms

If there is a fire in your home, remember to have and follow an evacuation plan:
• Do not panic; stay calm
• Get out using the planned escape route
• Do not open a door if it is hot; use an alternate escape route
• Remain close to the floor; smoke and hot gases rise
• Cover nose and mouth with a cloth
• Keep doors and windows closed unless they need to be opened to escape
• Meet at a planned meeting place after exiting the house
• Call 911 once outside your home
• Never re-enter a burning building

Practice fire drills including the above steps with occupants of the home. Because alarms may not awaken everyone, people capable of assisting others should be assigned to provide assistance to those who need it.

Carbon Monoxide Safety

Actuation of the CO alarm indicates the presence of carbon monoxide (CO) which can kill you. If the CO alarm sounds, do not ignore!

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas produced when fossil fuels do not burn completely or are exposed to heat (usually fire). Exposure to CO can cause brain damage and death.
A CO device monitors the air and sounds a loud alarm before CO levels become threatening for average, healthy adults.

If the CO alarm sounds in your home, make sure to:
• Operate the Test/Silence button (when the alarm has been hushed, the device will continue to monitor the air for the presence of CO. If the alarm sounds again, there are CO levels that are potentially dangerous).
• Call 911.
• Move to fresh air outdoors.
• Verify all persons are accounted for.
• Do not re-enter home.
• If the device reactivates within a 24-hour period, repeat steps and call a qualified appliance technician to investigate for sources of CO from fuel-burning equipment and appliances as well as inspect for proper operation of this equipment. If problems are identified during this inspection, have the equipment serviced immediately.

To help prevent CO problems and reduce the risk of CO poisoning:
• Clean chimneys and flues yearly
• Test and maintain all fuel-burning equipment annually
• Make regular visual inspections of all fuel-burning appliances
• Check for exhaust backflow from CO sources
• Check the house or garage on the other side of shared wall
• If you suspect that CO is escaping into your home, open a window or door.
Opening windows or doors can significantly reduce CO levels

CO Problems can also result from transient CO situations, such as:
1. Excessive spillage or reverse venting of fuel burning appliances caused by:
i. Outdoor ambient conditions such as wind direction and/or velocity, including high gusts of wind; heavy air in the vent pipes (cold/humid air with extended periods between cycles).
ii. Negative pressure differential resulting from the use of exhaust fans.
iii. Simultaneous operation of several fuel burning appliances competing for limited internal air.
iv. Vent pipe connection vibrating loose from clothes dryers, furnaces, or water heaters.
v. Obstructions in or unconventional vent pipe designs which amplify the above situations.
2. Extended operation of unvented fuel burning devices (range, oven, fireplace, etc.).
3. Temperature inversions which can trap exhaust gases near the ground.
4. Car idling in an open or closed attached garage, or near a home.

CO Facts
Potential sources of CO in your home include:
• Fuel-burning appliances like: portable heater, gas or wood burning fireplace, gas kitchen range or cooktop, gas clothes dryer, portable generators;
• Damaged or insufficient venting: corroded or disconnected water heater vent pipe, leaking chimney pipe or flue, or cracked heat exchanger, blocked or clogged chimney opening.
• Improper use of appliance/device: e.g. operating a barbecue grill, portable generator or vehicle in an enclosed area (like a garage or screened porch) or in your home.
A CO device monitors the air and sounds a loud alarm before CO levels become threatening for average, healthy adults.

Some people are more sensitive to CO than others, including those with cardiac, respiratory or other health problems. Infants, young children, pregnant women and elderly people can be more quickly and severely affected by CO. People sensitive to CO should consult their doctors for advice on additional precautions.

Symptoms of CO Poisoning
These are possible symptoms of CO poisoning should be discussed with all household members:

Exposure	Symptoms of CO Poisoning
Mild	Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue (flu-like symptoms)
Medium	Throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, rapid heart rate
Extreme	Convulsions, unconsciousness, heart and lung failure. Exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) can cause brain damage and death