Could your Commercial Heating System be Putting your Employees at Risk for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
If your commercial heating system uses fuel, rather than electricity or hot water, it produces carbon monoxide. This does not necessarily mean that your employees and all others who enter your building are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning – carbon monoxide is present in many home and commercial settings without posing a risk to individuals in these settings. Exposure to a large amount of carbon monoxide, which can occur when fuel-burning appliances are not working correctly or when a space is not properly ventilated, can put individuals at risk of suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Get Your Home or Commercial Facility Checked
Are you worried about an old appliance that utilizes fuel in your home or commercial facility? Book an appointment with our professional plumbers to get your appliances checked and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO), is a toxic gas. It has no color and no odor, which makes it very dangerous to people and animals exposed to large amounts of it in unventilated spaces. CO can also harm developing fetuses in pregnant women exposed to the gas.
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Individuals who inhale carbon monoxide are at risk of suffering from CO poisoning.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include:
- Blurred vision;
- Confusion;
- Dizziness;
- Headache;
- Loss of consciousness;
- Nausea and vomiting; and
- Shortness of breath.
It can be easy to overlook CO poisoning symptoms, which is part of what makes this condition so deadly. CO poisoning is a medical emergency and requires prompt medical attention. If you or somebody in your office suddenly experiences one or more of these symptoms, there could be a CO issue in your building.
How Commercial Heating Devices can Put Workers at Risk
When appliances burn fuels like oil, wood, kerosene, and natural gas, carbon monoxide is a byproduct. Appliances that work properly do not produce enough CO to be harmful. When an appliance does produce a large amount of CO, the gas can be harmful, even deadly.
Electrical appliances do not produce CO.
A few examples of appliances that can produce carbon monoxide include:
- Portable generators;
- Kerosene heaters;
- Charcoal grills;
- Wood-burning stoves; and
- Automobiles running in poorly ventilated spaces.
You should have a working carbon monoxide detector in every area of the building. The detectors should be equipped with strobe lights and sirens that can alert workers to dangerous levels of CO in the air. Detectors should be placed at eye level or higher because CO is lighter than air.
Work with an Experienced Manalapan, New Jersey Air Conditioning and Commercial Heating Professional to Protect yourself and your Company
An up-to-date commercial heating system that works properly is a safe commercial heating system. If you own or operate a commercial building, it is in your best interest to have your heating system serviced and your indoor air quality tested regularly. By doing this, you can catch issues in the system before they become severe to the point of putting your company at risk and potentially becoming very expensive to repair. Contact Team Electric Heating Plumbing & Air today to schedule your system check-up with a commercial heating professional today.
