“The Lindenwood Ice Rink is closed after collegiate hockey players from the University of Wisconsin and Lindenwood University suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during a game Friday night… (CO) was measured at a level of 200…”
“A nearly lethal carbon monoxide leak at a church in Alpine Utah went completely undetected by the high priest’s group meeting in the room. The leak, resulting from a malfunctioning heating system, caused many of the older priesthood holders to cough excessively while rendering other attendees completely unresponsive…Emergency crews were late arriving at the scene because people looking through the classroom window did not detect anything out-of-the-ordinary when they saw the breathless, wheezing, or passed-out high priests…”
Diners at a Clemmons restaurant last weekend became sick because of a carbon-monoxide leak. Thanks to some quick action from an off-duty firefighter, the restaurant was evacuated and those who experienced illness were treated.
Fortunately, such incidents are rare. But one is too many. We urge legislators to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in restaurants, just as they are in hotels and motels.
The Clemmons incident occurred during a birthday party in the special events room of the River Ridge Taphouse, the Journal’s Jenny Drabble reported. One of the participants, off-duty firefighter Lonnie Wimmer, noticed that people were starting to feel sick. Some had headaches and some felt nauseous. There was some vomiting.
Wimmer also began to feel ill. Fortunately, he recognized the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and notified the fire department and emergency personnel. The restaurant was evacuated.
Thirty-one diners were treated on the scene and 14 went to the hospital.
The leak was eventually traced to a heating unit, Lewisville Fire Department Assistant Chief Steve Williams told the Journal.
“We are extremely confident that was the main source of the leak,” Williams told the Journal. “The heating unit for that room malfunctioned and stopped burning cleanly, which can happen to any of those units.”
The restaurant quickly had the leak fixed and opened for business last Sunday morning, restaurant manager Dawn Vanorden told the Journal.
“Everything’s good, we fixed it that night,” she said. “Everyone’s safe.”
It doesn’t appear the restaurant did anything wrong. The restaurant did not have a carbon monoxide detector. They’re required in hotels and motels, but they’re not required in restaurants.
We’re grateful for the presence and quick thinking of the off-duty firefighter, Wimmer. This could have been much worse.
Carbon monoxide is very dangerous. It disrupts blood cells’ ability to carry oxygen through the body, and inhaling too much can be lethal. The level in the restaurant spiked to six times the normal amount, officials told the Journal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that between 1999 and 2010, an average of 430 people died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States.
There have been some deadly incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning in our area, like in 2013 when a couple from Longview, Wash., Daryl and Shirley Jenkins, died in a room in the Best Western hotel in Boone. Jeffrey Lee Williams, an 11-year-old boy, died later that year in the same room before a police investigation revealed that deadly levels of carbon monoxide had seeped in from a corroded exhaust pipe. After that tragedy, the legislature moved quickly to toughen laws for carbon monoxide detectors in hotel and motel rooms.
Legislators should make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in restaurants. The gas is difficult to detect, sometimes until it’s too late.
We’re glad Wimmer was there, and appreciate the quick response from the restaurant. But more needs to be done. This is serious business.
wsjeditorial@wsjournal.comor send letters to the editor at letters @wsjournal.com.
“…Assistant Chief Steve Williams with the Lewisville Fire Department said the gas started leaking because of a malfunction in the restaurant’s heating system.
The carbon monoxide made it’s way through the restaurant’s ventilation system and into a private dining room where a birthday party with kids was taking place…a firefighter who happened to be with the party group noticed people in the room were feeling dizzy, nauseated, and experiencing headaches, so he called the fire department.”
“An off-duty firefighter saved the lives of many dinner party guests when he realized something was amiss during the gathering of friends in North Carolina. When Lonnie Wimmer began to notice guests were nauseous and complaining of headaches at the River Ridge Tap House, he jumped into action…”
“Firefighters Melvin Batts and Sam Acala had popped into a Subway restaurant near Greenbelt and Good Luck roads around noon when the carbon monoxide detectors strapped to their walkie-talkies went off…’The readings we found were as high as 600 ppm’…The shopping center was immediately evacuated, and firefighters suited up to find the leak. Emergency crews found that the exhaust vent from an air conditioning unit was broken and funneling carbon monoxide into stores instead of outside.”
“March 17, 2014, started off just like any other day: I dropped off my five-year-old son Ryan at the Douglas Municipal Center, adjacent to the Douglas Elementary School. He hurried inside the municipal center, where kindergarten is held, along with 76 other kindergartners and their teachers. The weather was cold, so the building’s heating system was on. No one realized that somewhere inside the building a furnace was leaking a deadly gas and everybody inside was in danger.”
“People who teach boat safety, such as Mitch Strobl of Boat-Ed.com, adamantly tell people not to hang onto the back of a boat when the engine is running. Whether swimmers are being pulled at full speed or simply lounging in the water while holding onto an idling boat, swimmers can be knocked unconscious before they even know they’re in danger.”
“When 15-year-old Sarah Pool drowned in Lake Travis last month, the community was shocked by the teen’s sudden drowning while participating in a church wakeboarding camp.”
Bridgewater, NJ – “None of the Days Inn’s 35 guests present at the time were injured but a firefighter was hospitalized after being sickened from CO exposure.
The Madison Fire Department is investigating code regulations after a carbon monoxide scare sent dozens to the hospital.
The evacuation happened at Salon Centinela during a Wedding Saturday night.
A generator was brought inside the venue causing the carbon monoxide levels to increase to dangerous levels, 405 parts per million.
“When you’re at 400 parts per million of carbon monoxide, within a 2 to 3 hour period, it can be toxic to the body,” Lt. Ron Blumer says.
UW Hospital confirms the incident caused carbon monoxide poisoning to 45 people, sending them to the hospital.
“People have headaches,” he explains. “You could end up having fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and once you start getting up more, over a prolonged period of time, then that’s when you could start having toxic levels where people could die.”
Officials say it was a pretty cut and dry situation Saturday night. They found out the cause of the carbon monoxide leak and waited for the levels to go down before they cleared the scene.
Now, they are investigating the code regulations.
“It’s up to our code enforcement officers and our fire investigation and inspection bureaus and they will review every call we go on if there’s any concerns for compliance, and so they will be in contact with the facility and making sure everything is in compliance with the city,” Lt. Blumer says.
Madison’s fire protection engineer says their records show that the indoor soccer complex was approved to be used as a banquet hall and the building does have the proper sprinkler and fire alarm systems.
Salon Centinela owners didn’t want to talk on camera, but they did tell NBC15 News Sunday that the band did not ask them for permission to bring the generator inside, and they do want their guests to be as safe as possible while attending events there.
Ventura County Fire Department firefighters responded to a report of a carbon monoxide leak at about 9 a.m. at the Circle K in Ventura on Citrus and South Wells Road.
One person was taken to Community Memorial Hospital for treatment, a county fire spokesperson said.
The Circle K and a nearby restaurant were evacuated, officials said.
Just as the lunch rush hit downtown Lincoln, several employees at the popular lunch joint Noodles and Company on 14th and ‘P’ started feeling sick. Fire crews were called in and that’s when they detected high levels of carbon monoxide filling the building. The eatery was quickly evacuated, setting off alarm bells for the restaurant next door.
“I didn’t know exactly what was going on, being neighbors with them, then all of the sudden they started checking our place and said ‘oh you need to get out now’ and so I’m, thinking well I don’t smell smoke it’s not a fire then I realized it was CO and some of their employees started showing the symptoms so,” Ian Peterson, general manager at Wahoo’s tacos, said.
Crews say the restaurant forgot to turn on their kitchen vent system while they were cooking, and gas from their appliances built up, causing one employee to be taken to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning. They also say two gas appliances were faulty.
The restaurant next door, Wahoo’s Taco, and the residents upstairs were also evacuated. The general manager of Wahoo’s walked us through how the system works.
“With the hood vents, if you don’t have them on and you’re cooking all that co is going to build up and you don’t really notice it until you have the symptoms, you get nauseous someone passes out, so that’s what happened, we had ours on but we don’t wish that on anyone,” Peterson said.
Noodles and Company says it’ll be closed until they fix their appliances. Officials say all employees were allowed back in about an hour later and everyone is expected to be okay.
We reached out to Noodles and Company for comment; they declined to speak to us, saying they are still investigating what happened.
“Firefighters had to evacuate patrons from a bustling downtown Philadelphia bar and restaurant at the height of a busy weekend night after high carbon monoxide levels were detected in the bar.
Officials said that the dangerous gas was detected at Barra Restaurant & Lounge, on Chestnut Street near 2nd in Old City, about midnight. Firefighters evacuated patrons from the bar and the rest of the building after the levels of CO were discovered. There are apartments above the bar…”
A malfunctioning fryer caused carbon monoxide levels to rise in the Church’s Chicken in the 300 block of W. 2nd Street Wednesday afternoon, which resulted in a brief evacuation of the building.
Sand Springs Fire Chief Mike Wood said the main fryer in the kitchen had to be shut down until it can be evaluated.
“It’s some operational issue with the fryer,” Wood said. “Apparently, [employees] had had some issue with the fryer before, so they hadn’t been using it, but for some reason, today, it was used.”
Carbon monoxide is dangerous at high enough levels, he said.
The restaurant was closed to allow the building to air out as of 2:30 p.m., but was open and serving customers again by about 4 p.m.
Fire officials had to evaluate several employees at a Severna Park restaurant after increased levels of carbon monoxide were found Tuesday.
Anne Arundel County Fire responded to the Noodles & Company in the 500 block of Ritchie Highway just after 6:15 p.m.
Seven people exhibited lightheadedness and headaches, the department said. Two people were taken to the hyperbaric chamber at the University of Maryland Medical Center, two people were taken to University of Maryland Medical Center, two people were taken to Baltimore-Washington Medical Center and one person was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Hazmat crews were called in to investigate the source of the leak. Crews said the source came from a hood on top of the stove that was not ventilating properly.
Two Jersey City EMTs…walked into the Burger King on Route 440 in Jersey City and their portable carbon monoxide detection devices began to sound…evacuated the restaurant and notified the fire department…The devices are worn by all EMTs and paramedics at JCMC and was implemented back in 2011.”
Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:59:41 GMT — Kelly’s Restaurant in Quincy is open for business Wednesday after being evacuated twice Tuesday for two separate carbon monoxide leaks.
Just before noon Wednesday, restaurant owner Jeff McClean said that two people were still in the hospital being treated.
He said everything is back to normal at the restaurant, however, and he praises the Quincy Fire Department and EMTs for doing a fantastic job.
You may remember the first emergency call came in shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday when several people inside reported feeling ill.
Quincy Fire Department Assistant Chief James Pioch said around 20 people were inside at the time, and six employees were taken to Blessing Hospital for treatment.
The leak came from one of the kitchen’s stoves, McClean said, and the restaurant re-opened around 5 p.m.
“We got as high as 700 parts per million (of carbon monoxide), your detector at home will probably sound anywhere between 10 and 35 parts per million, of carbon monoxide, and like I said we were gettin 700 parts,” Pioch said.
According to Pioch, an engine responded the second time to a carbon monoxide detector going off around 7:30 p.m.
Pioch said elevated levels of carbon monoxide from the restaurant’s east-side furnace forced a second evacuation of the building.
Fire crews ventilated the building after some workers complained of headaches, prompting another ambulance response.
Pioch said he did not know if the second ambulance transported anyone to the hospital.
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion, according to the CDC .
Quincy, IL – Six employees of a Quincy tavern have been taken to a hospital after a carbon monoxide leak.
Assistant Quincy Fire Chief James Pioch tells WGEM-AM that high levels of carbon monoxide were found in the kitchen area of Kelly’s Tavern on Tuesday afternoon.
Pioch says carbon monoxide levels came in at 700 to 800 parts per million. He says anything over 35 ppm is considered dangerous.
Tavern owner Rod McLean says employees started feeling sick during the lunch crowd and called authorities. McLean says no customers were affected.
Fire investigators believe the leak came from an appliance in the kitchen, but they’re not sure which one.
“Authorities at the Delton Fire Department said the cause of the carbon monoxide leak was the rink’s resurfacing machine. The rink will stay closed until the machine can be fixed, officials said. A mechanic is scheduled to start working on it Monday…Ice Hawks President Michael Fatis says the incident makes a good case for a Wisconsin regulation similar to a Minnesota law which requires carbon monoxide detectors at ice rinks.”
MANCHESTER, NH – Shortly after the Mall of New Hampshire opened at 11 a.m. on Oct. 19 employees and customers of Bertucci’s restaurant began noticing symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Alarms sounded inside the restaurant and Manchester Fire Department responded to find reportedly high readings of carbon monoxide in the building – 114 PPM – which resulted in a mall evacuation. All victims were treated in the parking lot while MFD vented the building and tried to detect/isolate the problem.
This is the second Sunday in a row that Bertucci’s has had the issue and had to evacuate.
After approximately 45 minutes the situation was brought under control. Officials said the issue seems to be in an HVAC unit. Manchester Health Department officials at the scene ordered the restaurant closed due to the issue.
“11 people were treated and at least one child remains hospitalized after an archery club was exposed to carbon monoxide…(one of the victims) decided to step outside for some fresh air. It’s then she realized she barely had the strength to walk up the stairs and suspected something might seriously be wrong. Other archers complained of headaches and nausea and the group evacuated the basement…(officials) traced the carbon monoxide leak to a faulty boiler plate on the first floor of the facility. The boiler plate is used to heat the center’s swimming pool.”
“Deputy Fire Chief Jon Davine said Northampton firefighters were called to 16-18 Main St. shortly after 11 a.m. when a carbon monoxide detector was activated in the basement of Local Burger. He said firefighters detected high levels of carbon monoxide throughout the building, from its basement to the attic. The readings prompted the Fire Department to evacuate about a dozen people from the building, which also houses Banh Mi Saigon restaurant at the ground level and has apartments on the second and third floors.”
“At about 8:45 a.m., North Mac Intermediate and Middle Schools were evacuated, after approximately 150 students and faculty were exhibiting symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning — nearly 60 people have been transported to local hospitals.”
“…complaints allege that when a 2003 building addition to the school was designed and constructed, the venting system for the hot water heaters in the mechanical room was defective, causing a modification to be made to the vents that extended the vent pipe high above the roof and required guy wires. According to documents produced by the school district under the Freedom of Information Act, one of those guy wires to the vent pipe was found after the accident to be broken, according to a press release from the Nolan Law Group.
A district employee and the plumbing/heating contractor had noticed a break in the vent pipe inside the building the week prior to Sept. 15, 2014, and performed a temporary repair that did not hold…”
“Legal Sea Foods located at the Street in Chestnut Hill along Route 9 was evacuated Tuesday morning following high carbon monoxide readings in the restaurants, the Newton Fire Department tweeted. A nearby restaurant, The Cottage, was also evacuated.
WCVB first reported that carbon monoxide detectors were going off this morning when employees came to work. Newton fire and National Grid have reportedly traced the problem to a Legal Sea Foods oven.
One person was evaluated for carbon monoxide poisoning on site and was cleared, Newton Fire tweeted.
Both restaurants plan to open to customers for lunch.”
“Fire Department personnel conducting a routine inspection found elevated carbon monoxide levels at a New Dorp business, resulting in two people being taken to the hospital, officials said.
While inspecting Shaggy’s Cheesesteaks on Hylan Boulevard, FDNY officials discovered the carbon monoxide levels showed a reading of 180 on their meters, where normal readings are below 10, said Battalion 23 Chief John Labarbera at the scene…the source of the elevated CO came from some cooking equipment in the kitchen…
While the city mandates homeowners install carbon monoxide detectors in residences, the devices aren’t required in businesses and other areas where people gather — including restaurants. But the City Council is set to change that: City Council Minority Leader Vincent Ignizio has introduced a bill requiring carbon monoxide detectors in places of business, school auditoriums, and other public spaces…’These are the legitimate health risks which underscore an odorless gas that ultimately can kill people…'”
“Dane County dispatch said three people were sent to the hospital following a carbon monoxide leak at a fast food restaurant in Cottage Grove early Monday morning. The incident happened just before 6 a.m. at the McDonald’s in the 400 block of West Cottage Grove Road…”
“A faulty water heater flue pipe caused the carbon monoxide leak that killed a New York restaurant manager and sent more than two dozen people to hospitals…Restaurant manager Steven Nelson was found unresponsive in the basement on Saturday night and pronounced dead at a hospital…
Authorities initially went to the restaurant after receiving a call about a woman who had fallen and hit her head in the basement. Rescue workers who arrived at the scene started to feel lightheaded and nauseated and suspected a carbon monoxide leak, officials said.
The restaurant was evacuated and 27 people were treated at hospitals. All of those impacted by the fumes were restaurant employees, police or ambulance workers…”
Partner of man who died in Legal Sea Foods CO leak on Long Island fights for safety law
“…he came home so ill they went to the emergency room where doctors told him he may have a blood disorder…the next few days when Nelson returned from work were torturous. “I found him kneeling at the bed saying, ‘I feel like I’m dying.'”
HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. — “A 55-year-old restaurant manager died and more than two dozen others were taken to hospitals Saturday after being overcome by carbon monoxide at a restaurant at New York mall…Four ambulance personnel and three officers were among those overcome by carbon monoxide at the complex…”
The Laurel Walmart was evacuated Sunday morning due to high carbon monoxide levels in the building, an Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman said.
Fire personnel responded to the store in the 3500 block of Russett Green East at 10:27 a.m. for a medical emergency and found an injured employee, Fire Department Lt. Russ Davies said.
The person, whose identity and condition were unknown, was transported to Laurel Regional Hospital.
While at the store, fire personnel discovered high carbon monoxide levels and decided to evacuate the roughly 250 people in the building.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is toxic to humans and animals when encountered in high concentrations.
The source of the leak appears to be the store’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, Davies said. The building was ventilated until carbon monoxide levels dissipated, and employees were allowed to return at around 12:30 p.m.
“Emergency personnel were called after employees complained of feeling sick. Four employees went home throughout the day and 11 employees were taken to the hospital…Fire Department personnel are trying to locate the source of the carbon monoxide leak and believe it may have originated somewhere in the kitchen…Fire officials told FOX8 when carbon monoxide levels get to 35 it is “alarming.” The carbon monoxide levels in O’Charley’s on Friday were up to 400.”
“What if the government could craft a rule that would make millions of people safer, reduce carbon emissions, and come with the support of the industry it regulates? It isn’t a dream — three states have had it on the books for years — but there appears to be no momentum for such legislation on the federal level.
The rule? Mandatory testing of carbon-monoxide levels at indoor ice rinks, which number roughly 2,000 nationwide.”
“A worker was using an acetylene torch on a refrigeration unit…’When I got on scene and walked into the building, my CO alarm went off the wall…It was the highest I’ve ever seen it in the 15 years I’ve been in the fire department…The chief said he evacuated the building due to the “really dangerous” reading…”
A faulty furnace is to blame for a Falls Church carbon monoxide leak that sent three people to the hospital Wednesday morning.
Fairfax County emergency crews responded to the Baileys Crossroads apartment building in the 3600 block of Malibu Circle at about 2:30 a.m. after several residents complained of nausea, headache and dizziness. Emergency crews transported an adult woman and an adult man to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Another man was transported to Arlington Hospital.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue representatives initially reported that the three victims were in life-threatening condition, but by 6 a.m. said they would all be OK.
Firefighters used meters and found high levels of carbon monoxide in the apartment.
Officials evacuated all 11 apartments in the three-story building. Officials authorized residents to enter the apartments after a four-hour wait while firefighters ventilated the building.
Washington Gas crews determined a faulty furnace in the area caused the carbon monoxide poisoning.
MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Fire officials say 11 people were taken to St. Luke’s Medical Center after they were exposed to carbon monoxide fumes at the Playmakers Sports Center, located in the 5300 block of W. Fond du Lac Avenue.
Officials say workers on Monday, July 15th were trying to remove carpeting using a propane fueled tool, which started emitting fumes.
An employee at the store passed out, and this prompted the store to call the fire department. Fire officials then discovered elevated carbon monoxide levels in the building.
The building was evacuated and ventilated, and 11 were taken to the hospital. The 11 men were placed into a hyperbaric chamber, pressurized with oxygen to provide extra oxygen to the brain and remove the carbon monoxide.
All of the men taken to the hospital were listed in fair condition. Their ages range from 26-50.
Officials say most of those transported were carpet removal workers, and the rest were store employees.
“Garden City Park Firefighters responded to a carbon monoxide situation at a Dominican-style restaurant Thursday and took a total of seven people to the hospital for treatment.
According to Garden City Park Fire Chief Roger Green, ‘outrageously high levels’ of carbon monoxide were found in the building at 2172 Jericho Turnpike, which was functioning on a basement generator after the power had been turned off.
The generator was located in a common basement of the building and police were alerted at about 3:42 p.m. by a phone call requesting medical aid. Workers in the restaurant and several tenants in the apartments above the restaurant had complained about headaches and nausea.
A total of seven persons were taken to Nassau University Medical Center with non-life threatening conditions while another six declined medical attention.
The Nassau Fire Marshals Office is investigating the situation and will be determining if charges will be filed.”
“The Storm Lake Fire Department, police and Alliant Energy responded to a Burger King on Tuesday night after an odor of natural gas was reported…Authorities said no natural gas was detected, but carbon monoxide was. Firefighters determined a faulty rooftop heating unit caused the problem.”
“Police officers on patrol at around 10:30 Monday night saved the life of an employee of Healthy Food Chinese Kitchen, 650 Main Street, when an officer on patrol found the man lying unconscious on the floor behind the front counter with the gas generator running inside the restaurant, according to police.
Police said the man was taken away from the carbon monoxide filled room and outside to fresh air where oxygen was provided. Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Services personnel treated and revived him at the scene before he was transported to Bridgeport Hospital.”
“The leak was traced to an improperly vented water heater outside a Chili’s restaurant.
Chief Selberg said, apparently CO gas fumes were being pulled back into the shopping center’s air handling system, “It was up in the 200 parts per million range which is considered pretty high for CO.”
Firefighters and MLGW workers used gas monitors to trace the leak, but not before evacuating around thirty people from nine businesses…”
“Ashley could not find her wall plug-in charger because it had ended up in the washing machine, wrapped inside her comforter. So she decided to use a vehicle charger while sitting in the front seat of my husband’s Honda Ridgeline truck. It was parked in our garage…”
CO can kill within minutes. CO alarms can prevent death and injury in many environments, but there are situations such as this one where knowledge and awareness are the only ways to prevent harm.
Background: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless toxic gas produced during incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. Most CO incidents reported to the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) are due to faulty gas appliances, and legislation exists to ensure gas appliances are properly installed.
Methods: We present three CO poisoning incidents of unusual origin reported to the HPA. In each, residents living above restaurants were poisoned after workers left charcoal smouldering overnight in specialist or traditional ovens whilst ventilation systems were turned off. This led to production of CO, which travelled through floorboards and built up to dangerous concentrations in the flats.
Results: Working with local authorities, these incidents were investigated and resolved, and work was conducted to prevent further occurrences.
Conclusions: The novel nature of these CO incidents led to delays in recognition and subsequent remedial action. Although previously undescribed, it is likely that due to the number of residences built above restaurants and the rising popularity of traditional cooking methods, similar incidents may be occurring and could increase in frequency. Multi-agency response and reporting mechanisms could be strengthened. Awareness raising in professional groups and the public on the importance of correct ventilation of such appliances is vital.
FRENCHTOWN — About 10 people were evacuated from the building at 10 Bridge Street last night, Tuesday, Nov. 2, to escape carbon monoxide fumes that spread throughout the three-story structure. The fumes came from a gasoline-powered generator being operated inside the dining room of the basement restaurant, Cocina Del Sol.
According to Frenchtown Union Fire Company Chief Gerald Hoffman, emergency units responded to the scene between 8 and 8:30 p.m. to perform the evacuation.
“It took to about 11:30 when we finally ventilated all of the building,” Hoffman said.
Besides the restaurant located in the basement, the building also contains specialty shops on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floors.
Because the building had been without power, most of the apartment residents were not at home, the fire chief said.
Responding to the scene along with the Frenchtown Fire Company were Frenchtown Police, Quakertown Fire Company and a fire unit from Ottsville, Pa.
Hoffman said he is submitting a report on the incident to state fire safety officials.
CENTER CITY – February 1, 2010Several hundred students at the Art Institute of Philadelphia were forced from the 14-story building before dawn Monday after carbon monoxide detectors went off. The dorm is home to about 550 students.
Fire officials say three women had to be taken to hospitals following the evacuation.
School spokeswoman Carise Mitch says about a half-dozen students complained of illness following the evacuation. Two went to hospitals and were later released.
The city ordered the building closed until the source of the gas is found. That could take several days.
Mitch says the students will be housed at hotels until they can return to the dorm.
Two restaurants on the building’s ground floor are also shut down.
“…new knowledge about CO poisoning suggests that chronic exposure to CO-induced free radicals may, in fact, be a major occupational risk factor for cardiovascular disease and early death. Furthermore, exposure to cyanide and other toxic gasses may compound the effects of CO in firefighters…”
“Someone connected to the tournament called firefighters Saturday evening and said a Zamboni appeared to be releasing more exhaust than usual…asked whether firefighters could check it out.”
“A catalytic converter would slow the exhaust getting out of the engine and limit engine power. There are no catalytic converters (or mufflers, for that matter) on stock cars.”
Best Western Allentown Inn & Suites – Allentown, PA
“No one realized the man was suffering from exposure to carbon monoxide — and that the poison gas, notorious for its deadly stealth, was already sickening other guests and workers…Philip D. Prechtel, 63, died in his room…One other guest, two employees, two police officers and three ambulance workers were taken to hospitals.
20 adults and a 9-year-old boy became ill after inhaling carbon monoxide in an Ocean Shores grocery store powered by a generator
four members of a Vietnamese family were found dead in their Burien home. A generator had been running in their garage
three children died in a rural home in Grant County where a gasoline generator was running
Immigrant populations were the hardest hit: Of the 70 people treated in Virginia Mason s hyperbaric chamber, only five spoke English as their first language
QUEENSBURY – A potentially deadly level of carbon monoxide filled a Queensbury restaurant Saturday, sending 42 people to an area hospital. Most of the employees and customers of the Log Jam restaurant were treated and released. Two were flown to another hospital for more specialized treatment, said Queensbury Central Fire Department Chief Joseph DuPrey. No further details on their location or condition were immediately available.
The dining room was filled with 5,000 parts per million of carbon monoxide gase after the restaurant’s water heater in the basement stopped venting exhaust properly, DuPrey said. At that level people can get sick within minutes and die within an hour, DuPrey said. “It’s not uncommon for us to go to a residential home and see maybe 10 or 15 or 20 (parts per million,” DuPrey said. “To have 5000 parts per million is an extremely hazardous condition.”
Authorities were notified at 9:45 p.m. after a customer fainted. The restaurant was evacuated within minutes of the emergency crew’s arrival. Restaurant managers were unavailable for comment and the restaurant was closed Sunday. National Grid turned off the lead and the town of Queensbury’s code enforcement office will work with the restaurant to ensure that the water heater meets code. – The Associated Press
“A pair of Good Samaritans saved three workers who were overcome by carbon monoxide in Westfield Wednesday.
Authorities say three workers were using a gasoline-powered pressure washer to clean mold out of a store basement. According to police, the men were overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning from the motor?s exhaust.
Two Good Samaritans were walking by when they noticed the workers collapsed on the floor. The two men pulled the workers out of the basement. When emergency crews arrived, they said two workers were unconscious and one was seriously ill.
Four additional people from nearby shops were treated for minor injuries and taken to the hospital for further evaluation.”
“More than a year since nearly dying of carbon monoxide poisoning in a subway tunnel, TTC worker Jason Iamundo is still suffering the effects.
Just ask his wife Sophie.
You can hear the rage rise up in her voice when she talks about the health problems he’s struggled with since the Feb. 7, 2006 accident. Chest pains, breathing problems, an irregular heartbeat, dizziness, numb hands and hips, anxiety and depression are just some of the worries.
Then there’s the memory loss. If he were in his 60s or 70s, one could understand his forgetfulness, but Jason just turned 36 and should still be sharp.”
“At the request of the U.S. Coast Guard, an interagency team (comprised of representatives of
the National Park Service, the US Department of Interior, and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health) investigating boat-related CO poisonings compiled a listing
of CO poisonings occurring across the United States. The last update of the listing compiled
by the interagency team was dated October 2004.”
“Fifteen workers at the Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant at Arundel Mills mall were hospitalized yesterday after being exposed to carbon monoxide. The restaurant hood and duct system in the kitchen malfunctioned…”
“NASA has close ties with the high-performance competitive driving circuit. The Agency’s latest contribution to the sport comes in the form of an air catalyst—part of a filter to keep drivers safe from the carbon monoxide lingering over the track.”
“I remember the days when after the race they had to pull you out of the car, carry you into the shower and lay you in the shower for a while,’ Ricky Rudd says. “A lot of my early days were spent that way.’
“…NASCAR crew chiefs have reported their drivers being unresponsive to directions…Showing erratic skill and even blacking out at the end of races. Some drivers fail to realize they have finished the course.”
“The largest occurrence of carbon monoxide poisoning in Britain demonstrates the potential for mass accidental poisoning. It emphasises the need for strict public health controls and the importance of good liaison between emergency services to ensure that such events are quickly recognised and that the necessary resources are organised.”
In 1998, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension Department, with the assistance of local health departments, investigated a series of carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings associated with the use of liquified petroleum gas (LPG)-powered forklifts in light industry. In each episode, forklifts emitting high CO concentration levels were operated in inadequately ventilated warehouse and production facilities, which resulted in high CO accumulations. Employees at each site developed symptoms of CO poisoning, and some employees received inadequate or inappropriate medical care. This report summarizes the investigations and provides recommendations to prevent such incidents.
John Bayness and Christopher Adams probably died of carbon monoxide poisoning in not much more than 12 minutes inside a car wash here, an expert said.
And the two were probably “intoxicated” by the gas within minutes and couldn’t comprehend what was happening, said Tom Greiner, an Iowa State University Extension associate professor.
Greiner conducted tests at the Wonder Wash Car Wash Monday with the older-model sport utility vehicle the two victims were driving. The pair stopped at the car wash Friday on their way to Arizona for a vacation. Both of the bay’s doors were closed.
Because of the extremely high level of carbon monoxide produced by their vehicle, the pair probably didn’t experience any of the common symptoms associated with the poisoning — headache, drowsiness and nausea, Greiner said. They didn’t know they needed to get out, he said.
“It’s worse than being drunk on alcohol,” Greiner said.
Bayness, 23, and Adams, 20, were found by a car wash customer about 1:25 p.m. Friday. Officials found the ignition still in the on position.
Preliminary autopsy results showed they died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Fifteen hundred people die annually because of accidental CO exposure, and an additional 10,000 seek medical attention, the association says.
A similar incident to Friday’s claimed the life of Nolan Reetz of Jesup last December.
Here’s some information on CO, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission:
Breathing CO usually causes symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and weakness in healthy people. It also causes sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and disorientation. At very high levels, it causes loss of consciousness and death.
CO is colorless and odorless. This is particularly dangerous because people often don’t realize they are in trouble. Some of the symptoms are similar to the flu or other common illnesses.
Many CO problems occur in homes and businesses, but dangerous levels of CO can be prevented with proper appliance and equipment maintenance and installation.
Some common equipment that produces carbon monoxide includes automobiles, fuel-fired furnaces, gas water heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves, lawn mowers and snow blowers. Don’t run engines in the garage.
Detectors are available to help monitor levels of CO in buildings and should be installed on each floor, especially sleeping floors.
If a carbon monoxide problem is suspected, immediately open doors or windows to ventilate the house and get everyone outside for fresh air. Call the fire department of utility company.
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from vehicles, Greiner said:
Make certain all vehicles are tuned up and running clean.
Check and repair exhaust system leaks.
When starting a car and leaving from the garage:
Never run engine in a garage, even if the garage door is open, except for driving in and out.
Make certain everyone is in the car and ready to leave.
Open the overhead garage door before starting the car.
“We suggest that an average environmental concentration of 20 ppm of CO for the duration of a hockey game (90 minutes) should be reference limit not to be exceeded in indoor skating rinks.”
“An epidemiologic and clinical investigation of 184 persons exposed to toxic levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in a public high school has been carried out. Exposure to 500 ppm of CO for periods up to 150 minutes resulted in carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels as high as 30% and symptomatic illness in 87% of persons exposed before the possibility of mass CO poisoning was recognized.”
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