Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen to any of us. To minimize the risks, take the following precautions:

• Before winter, have your heating and hot water systems, as well as your chimney flues (mechanical sweeping), systematically inspected and maintained by a qualified professional at your primary and secondary residences, if applicable;

• Ventilate your home for at least 10 minutes a day, even if it’s cold;

• Keep your ventilation systems in good working order and never block air inlets or outlets;

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using combustion appliances: never run space heaters continuously; always place generators outside buildings; never use appliances not intended for heating—such as stoves, braziers, or barbecues—for heating purposes.

In communal settings, extra caution is required: carbon monoxide poisoning from gas heaters is common.

Act quickly: ventilate the area and call emergency services

Symptoms—headaches, fatigue, nausea—appear more or less quickly and can affect several people within the same household.

Severe poisoning can lead to coma and death, sometimes within minutes. You must therefore act very quickly: if you suspect poisoning:

• Ventilate the area immediately;

• Turn off combustion appliances if possible;

• Evacuate the premises;

• And call emergency services by dialing 15, 18, or 112 (and 114 for the hearing impaired).

Treatment for those affected must begin immediately upon the first symptoms and may require hospitalization.
Each year, approximately 1,300 accidental CO poisoning incidents involving nearly 3,000 people are reported to health authorities.

A brochure to inform about protective measures

The brochure “The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide: What You Need to Know” explains the dangers of this gas, the appliances and systems that can emit CO, and provides practical advice on how to prevent poisoning. It is distributed to city halls, maternal and child health services (PMI), and medical testing laboratories.