Officials Offer Carbon Monoxide Safety Advice
After an incident of carbon monoxide at an Atlanta school Monday, state officials are issuing reminders about the invisible, odorless gas.
State Fire Marshal Dwayne Garriss said for those using fuel-fired appliances and heaters, there are some important safety tips to keep in mind.
“If you have any kind of (fuel-fired) appliance indoors, you want to make sure it is vented and maintained properly,” said Garriss. “If you are using something that is gas-fired, it needs to be a nice, clean, blue flame, not orange or yellow that usually shows that you have improper combustion.”
State officials do say that a small amount of yellow or orange in the flame of a gas appliance is normal.
Other tips include never operating gasoline-powered engines, such as automobiles and lawn mowers, or kerosene heaters, in a confined space. In addition, officials say if using a kerosene heater inside the house, open a nearby window a few inches and never use unvented fuel-fired space heaters in sleeping areas.
Also, officials say to never burn charcoal indoors or in a confined space and make sure there is proper ventilation when using a fireplace or wood stove.
Finally, state officials highly recommend people using fuel-fired appliances or heaters to install a carbon monoxide detector in the home as a safety precaution.