Health department: ‘Fall back,’ check carbon monoxide detectors

The Jefferson County Health Department has released information advising residents to check operations of their carbon monoxide detectors, further advising that the ending of daylight savings time is an optimal time to engage in such precautionary activity. 

According to the release, daylight savings time comes to an end Sunday, Nov. 6., at 2 a.m., at which time residents are reminded to set their clocks back by one hour. 

“When you turn back your clocks, it’s a good time to put new batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors,” the release stated.  

“We tend to see more carbon monoxide poisonings in the cooler months. Now is the time for Jefferson County residents to make sure their heating sources and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order,” Elizabeth Chilsen, Jefferson County health officer, was quoted as saying in the release. 

According to the release, on average, carbon monoxide poisoning sends about 500 Wisconsinites to the emergency room each year, according to data from the Wisconsin Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. These trips to the ER for carbon monoxide poisoning are preventable when people are prepared.”

The department offered the following safety tips:

• Residents are advised to make sure they have working carbon monoxide detectors. All single-family duplexes and homes in Wisconsin are required to have detectors on every level, including the basement, but not the attic or storage areas. Detectors can be purchased at most hardware stores for $20 to $50. Changes in daylight savings time are a good time each year to replace the batteries in detectors. Residents are advised to push the “test” button to be sure the device is working properly. Detector should be replaced every five years or according to manufacturer’s instructions.

• Residents are advised to have their furnace or wood-burning stoves inspected annually by a professional to make sure it is functionally sound and vents properly outside the home.

• Never run a gasoline or propane heater or a grill — gas or charcoal — inside the home or garage. Any heating system that burns fuel produces carbon monoxide. Use a battery- powered detector wherever fuel-burning devices are in use, especially in places where electric outlets are not available, such as in tents, cabins, and RVs.

• Generators should be run at a safe distance — at least 20 feet — from the home. Never run a generator in the home or garage, or right next to windows or doors.

• Never run a car in an enclosed space. Even with a door or window open, carbon monoxide levels can still build up to an unsafe level. 

The release notes that at high levels, carbon monoxide can cause death within minutes. Symptoms of overexposure to carbon monoxide include headache, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, and confusion. 

Those experiencing the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning or who are within a closed space when a detector sounds an alarm are advised to move outside immediately into fresh air and call 911. 

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, Visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website or contact the Jefferson County Health Department by phone: 920-674-7275 or email: health@jeffersoncountywi.gov.