After Recent Deaths, CPSC Reissues Warning About Carbon Monoxide

May 29, 1997
Release #97-134

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For Immediate Release;
Contact: Ken Giles
(301) 504-0580 Ext. 1184

Washington, D.C. - After a family of five died yesterday from carbon monoxide poisoning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reissued its warning about the hazard of carbon monoxide (CO). The Silver Spring, Md., family apparently died when a car running in an attached garage filled their home with deadly CO.

CPSC Chairman Ann Brown said, "CO detectors save lives. This family could be alive today if their house had been equipped with CO detectors."

CO poisoning from the use of fuel burning appliances kills at least 200 people each year and sends more than 5,000 to hospital emergency rooms for treatment. Others die from CO produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent. Still others die from CO produced by cars unintentionally left running in attached garages.

CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning any fuel. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu, and include dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular breathing. High level exposure to CO can cause death.

"CPSC recommends that consumers have their furnaces, water heaters, and other fuel-burning appliances inspected yearly by a qualified professional," Brown said. "And every home should have at least one CO detector that meets the requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories standard."

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury and for information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To order a press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov or via Internet gopher services at cpsc.gov. Consumers can report product hazards to info@cpsc.gov.