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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu Emergency Medical Services has issued a warning to the public after a man was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at an Oahu grocery store.
The incident happened on Dec. 27 at the Safeway on Lumiaina Street in the Waikele area. Officials say when medics arrived on scene, the man was unresponsive and in need of advanced life support.
“Someone was using a gas powered pressure washer in an enclosed space causing the carbon monoxide to build up,” said Honolulu EMS paramedic supervisor Sunny Johnson.
Dubbed the silent killer, carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as oil, charcoal, wood, propane or gasoline burn without proper ventilation. The result is a gas that you can’t see, smell or taste.
“So it kind of sneaks up on you,” Johnson said. “You can’t really tell when it’s happening.”
In high concentrations, experts say it can be fatal in a matter of minutes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, nationwide, more than 400 people die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning, while another 14,000 are hospitalized.
Experts say the majority of those cases stem from appliances or machinery that aren’t properly ventilated or by leaving a vehicle engine running in an enclosed space.
On Friday, three adults and two children were rushed to an emergency room in Atlanta after what officials said was a “carbon monoxide leak” at a hotel.
While calls for carbon monoxide poisoning in Hawaii are rare, officials say it’s a significant health risk that’s under recognized.
“We suspect there’s quite a number of folks who have significant exposures and have symptoms but don’t recognize what it’s from,” said Steven Hankins.
Hankins is a provider at the University of Hawaii’s Hyperbaric Treatment Center. It’s the only one in the state that’s open to the public for emergencies 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness.
As for treatment, Hankins says patients are often placed in the hyperbaric chamber for several hours.
“It is dissolving a high amount of oxygen into the bloodstream, which helps displace the carbon monoxide and provide oxygen to the tissues,” Hankins said.
Hankins told HNN Investigates he’s aware of several cases locally related to forklift operators after the machinery was used in an enclosed spaces like freezers and warehouses.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard says carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death among boaters as the gas can accumulate in vessels with poor ventilation.
“So a good way to prevent it is to make sure when you are using generators, gas powered machines where it’s emitting exhaust to make sure it’s well ventilated. Make sure it’s in an open space,” Johnson said.
As for this most recent case, we’re told medics managed to revive the patient. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
HNN Investigates asked officials at Safeway if the person using the pressure washer was an employee, where the machine was being used and if the store was evacuated.
Spokesperson Wendy Gutshall responded, “We take this matter seriously. For privacy purposes, we cannot provide details about the incident.”
In the meantime, EMS wants the public to consider installing carbon monoxide detectors inside their homes, businesses and attached garages.
