This month's newsletter focuses
on Carbon Monoxide in confined spaces

Feature Article:.

Carbon Monoxide and Confined Space Dangers
By Alan Austin,
Product Line Manager

When you combine carbon monoxide (CO) with confined spaces there is a high probability that the results will be deadly. CO is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness or death due to asphyxiation. There are potential CO dangers at home, at work and even at play. CO is also flammable within certain concentrations.

Other names for CO gas include: coal gas, carbon oxide, exhaust gas and flue gas. There are many sources of CO: cars and trucks, boats, small gasoline engines, stoves, generators, heaters and many, many industrial processes involving furnaces, boilers and burners. When CO from such sources is released within an enclosed or poorly ventilated area, it becomes a confined space hazard that is potentially dangerous to people and animals.

According to the CDC, NiOSH and OSHA, carbon monoxide is considered highly dangerous and requires preventative measures to avoid accidents. At the 200 ppm level in the air, CO forms carboxyhemoglobin in the blood that prevents the distribution of oxygen in the body. At the 1000 ppm level, CO exposure may be fatal. People with pre-existing conditions, such as heart or lung disease, are more susceptible to the effects of this toxic gas.

Click here to read the full article, which provides detailed safety and toxic gas monitoring information.


Apple iPod Contest:.

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Industry Briefs:.

CO Kills Four In Steel Plant
Four workers died and seven others were injured at a steel rolling plant in Northeast China by toxic CO gas. The accident occurred as technicians who were installing a new energy-saving furnace accidentally opened a pipeline valve that allowed CO gas to escape. Two of the dead workers were overcome while trying to rescue other workers.

Click here to read the full document.
CO Overcomes Forklift Driver
A New Jersey food brokerage company employee, who was operating a forklift inside a refrigeration unit, was overcome by CO levels that were 200 times normal. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The local fire department noted the employee closed the refrigerator while continuously running the forklift inside it for a long period of time, which resulted in the toxic build-up of CO fumes.

Click here to read the full article.


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