Carbon Monoxide
U.S. EPA Carbon Monoxide
OSHA FACT SHEET
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon
monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas.
Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases
that do have an odor. So, you can inhale carbon monoxide right along with
gases that you can smell and not even know that CO is present.
CO is a
common industrial hazard resulting from the incomplete burning of natural
gas and any other material containing carbon such as gasoline, kerosene,
oil, propane, coal, or wood. Forges, blast furnaces and coke ovens produce
CO, but one of the most common sources of exposure in the workplace is the
internal combustion engine.
How
does CO harm you?
Carbon
monoxide is harmful when breathed because it displaces oxygen in the blood
and deprives the heart, brain, and other vital organs of oxygen. Large
amounts of CO can overcome you in minutes without warning—causing you to
lose consciousness and suffocate.
Besides
tightness across the chest, initial symptoms of CO poisoning may include
headache, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, or nausea. Sudden chest pain may
occur in people with angina. During prolonged or high exposures, symptoms
may worsen and include vomiting, confusion, and collapse in addition to
loss of consciousness and muscle weakness. Symptoms vary widely from
person to person.
CO
poisoning may occur sooner in those most susceptible: young children,
elderly people, people with lung or heart disease, people at high
altitudes, or those who already have elevated CO blood levels, such as
smokers. Also, CO poisoning poses a special risk to fetuses.
CO
poisoning can be reversed if caught in time. But even if you recover,
acute poisoning may result in permanent damage to the parts of your body
that require a lot of oxygen such as the heart and brain. Significant
reproductive risk is also linked to CO.
Who
is at risk?
You may
be exposed to harmful levels of CO in boiler rooms, breweries, warehouses,
petroleum refineries, pulp and paper production, and steel production;
around docks, blast furnaces, or coke ovens; or in one of the following
occupations:
What can you do if you suspect someone has been poisoned?
When
you suspect CO poisoning, promptly taking the following actions can save
lives:
-
Move
the victim immediately to fresh air in an open area.
-
Call
911 or another local emergency number for medical attention or
assistance.
-
Administer 100-percent oxygen using a tight-fitting mask if the victim
is breathing.
-
Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the victim has stopped
breathing.
Warning: You may
be exposed to fatal levels of CO poisoning in a rescue attempt. Rescuers
should be skilled at performing recovery operations and using recovery
equipment. Employers should make sure that rescuers are not exposed to
dangerous CO levels when performing rescue operations.
How
can employers help prevent CO poisoning?
To
reduce the chances of CO poisoning in your workplace, you should take the
following actions:
-
Install an effective ventilation system that will remove CO from work
areas.
-
Maintain equipment and appliances (e.g., water heaters, space heaters,
cooking ranges) that can produce CO in good working order to promote
their safe operation and to reduce CO formation.
-
Consider switching from gasoline-powered equipment to equipment powered
by electricity, batteries, or compressed air if it can be used safely.
-
Prohibit the use of gasoline-powered engines or tools in poorly
ventilated areas.
-
Provide personal CO monitors with
audible alarms if
potential exposure to CO exists.
-
Test
air regularly in areas where CO may be present, including confined
spaces. See Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR) 1910.146.
-
Install CO monitors with audible alarms.
-
Use a
full-facepiece pressure-demand selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
or a combination full-facepiece pressure demand supplied-air respirator
with auxiliary selfcontained air supply in areas with high CO
concentrations, i.e., those immediately dangerous to life and health
atmospheres. (See 29 CFR 1910.134.)
-
Use
respirators with appropriate canisters for short periods under certain
circumstances where CO levels are not exceedingly high.
-
Educate workers about the sources and conditions that may result in CO
poisoning as well as the symptoms and control of CO exposure.
In addition, if your employees are working in confined spaces where the
presence of CO is suspected, you must ensure that workers test for
oxygen sufficiency before entering.
What can employees do to help prevent CO poisoning?
Employees should do the following to reduce the chances of CO poisoning in
the workplace:
-
Report any situation to your employer that might cause CO to accumulate.
-
Be
alert to ventilation problems—especially in enclosed areas where gases
of burning fuels may be released.
-
Report promptly complaints of dizziness, drowsiness, or nausea.
-
Avoid
overexertion if you suspect CO poisoning and leave the contaminated
area.
-
Tell
your doctor that you may have been exposed to CO if you get sick.
-
Avoid
the use of gas-powered engines, such as those in powered washers as well
as heaters and forklifts, while working in enclosed spaces.
What are the OSHA standards for CO exposure?
-
The
OSHA PEL is 50 parts per million (ppm). OSHA standards prohibit worker
exposure to more than 50 parts of the gas per million parts of air
averaged during an 8-hour time period.
-
The
8-hour PEL for CO in maritime operations is also 50 ppm. Maritime
workers, however, must be removed from exposure if the CO concentration
in the atmosphere exceeds 100 ppm. The peak CO level for employees
engaged in Ro-Ro operations (roll-on roll-off operations during cargo
loading and unloading) is 200 ppm.
How
can you get more information on safety and health?
OSHA
has various publications, standards, technical assistance, and compliance
tools to help you, and offers extensive assistance through workplace
consultation, voluntary protection programs, grants, strategic
partnerships, state plans, training, and education. OSHA’s Safety and
Health Program Management Guidelines ( Federal Register 54:3904-3916,
January 26, 1989) detail elements critical to the development of a
successful safety and health management system. This and other information
are available on OSHA’s website.
-
For
one free copy of OSHA publications, send a self-addressed mailing lable
to OSHA Publications Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535;
or send a request to our fax at (202) 693-2498, or call us at (202)
693-1888.
-
To
order OSHA publications online at
www.osha.gov,
go to Publications and follow the instructions for ordering.
-
To
file a complaint by phone, report an emergency, or get OSHA advice,
assistance, or products, contact your nearest OSHA office under the
“U.S. Department of Labor” listing in your phone book, or call toll-free
at (800)
321-OSHA (6742).
The teletypewriter (TTY) number is (877) 889-5627.
-
To
file a complaint online or obtain more information on OSHA federal and
state programs, visit OSHA’s website.
|
This is one in a series
of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies, or
standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements or carry
the force of legal opinion. For compliance requirements of OSHA
standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This information will be made available to
sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202)
693-1999. See also OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov. |
Reference:
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration 2002
[Home]
|