The ARS encourages people to “adopt the right actions to reduce risks”.
Invisible, odorless and non-irritating, carbon monoxide is a gas undetectable by humans. Devices using fuels (natural gas, wood, coal, fuel oil, etc.), for the production of heat or light, are all likely, if their operating conditions are not ideal, to cause its appearance.
Carbon monoxide is a very toxic gas which causes more or less serious poisoning, ranging from headaches at low concentrations to death when the concentration of this toxic gas reaches significant levels in the air.
In Burgundy-Franche-Comté, between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, 185 people were poisoned by carbon monoxide? including 153 admitted to the emergency room. Two accidental deaths have been reported.
Domestic carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is more common in winter with the activation of defective or unsuitable appliances and poor ventilation.
Preventive measures make it possible to avoid these situations, in particular the maintenance of appliances (heating and hot water production) and their proper use as well as the good ventilation of homes (caulking of air inlets prohibited).
Generators must always be placed outside and DIY carried out in a ventilated or ventilated area.
Tips to avoid poisoning
A few simple actions can limit the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home:
1. Before winter, systematically call in a qualified professional to check the installations
– Have boilers, water heaters, bath heaters, inserts and stoves checked and maintained.
Annual maintenance of boilers is mandatory.
– Have the flues checked and maintained.
Chimney sweeping is mandatory at least once a year.
2. All year round and particularly during the heating period, ensure good ventilation of the home
– Ventilate the home every day for at least 10 minutes, even when it is cold. In this way, the indoor air is renewed without cooling the home.
– Do not obstruct air inlets and outlets (mainly ventilation grilles in kitchens, bathrooms and boiler rooms).
3. Use combustion appliances appropriately
– Never operate the auxiliary heaters continuously. They are designed for brief, intermittent use only.
– Strictly follow the instructions for using combustion appliances (refer to the manufacturer's instructions), particularly uses prohibited in closed places.
– Never use appliances not intended for this purpose for heating: stove, brazier, barbecue, etc.
4. In case of installation of new appliances (generators or gas appliances):
– Never place generators in a closed place (house, cellar, garage, etc.): they must be installed outside buildings.
– Ensure the correct installation and proper functioning of any new gas appliance before it is put into service and require a certificate of conformity from the installer.
Preventing poisoning primarily involves implementing these good practices. When purchasing a carbon monoxide detector, you should check the voluntary NF EN 50291 (or NF 292) marking, the only standard guaranteeing reliable measurement.
What to do in the event of an accident?
In the presence of a combustion appliance, symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting should alert you. If these symptoms disappear outside the room or several people experience them in the same room, you should:
– Immediately ventilate the premises by opening doors and windows.
– Stop combustion appliances if possible.
– Call emergency services: SAMU (15), firefighters (18) or the single European emergency number (112) (or by SMS to 114 for hearing impaired people).
– Evacuate premises and buildings.
– Do not re-enter the premises before having received advice from a heating professional or the fire brigade.
A prevention campaign to inform people about the reflexes that protect
The ARS Bourgogne-Franche-Comté website includes all the CO risk prevention elements:
https://www.bourgogne-franche-comte.ars.sante.fr/m…
The brochure “Heating without risk” as well as the national brochure “Protecting yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning” can be downloaded from the site.
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