Being in the dark for days at a time with no heat was an experience many do not want to repeat, and remedies and preparations should be made for future harsh weather events. However, Attorney General Mark Pryor today issued a consumer warning to those who have bought, or are thinking of investing in, a generator. If people use gas-powered generators indoors, they could die, and opening doors and windows or operating fans does not guarantee safety. CO poisoning from the use of fuel-burning appliances kills more than 200 people throughout the U.S. each year and sends over 10,000 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment. Others die from CO produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning any fuel.
The initialsymptoms are similar to those caused by the flu, and include dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing. And every home should have a CO alarm that meets the requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories or International Approval Services standard. Additionally, Pryor warned about fire hazards and CO dangers from space heaters and kitchen ranges used to heat the home. He advised consumers to keep space heaters away from flammable materials and turn them off when you leave the room. They should not be used when you re asleep, he added, and kitchen ranges should never be used to heat a room.