Important information – applies to hotels as well. Don’t take your family’s safety for granted when traveling.
As Family Vacations Resume, CPSC Warns of Safety Hazards in Vacation Rental Homes (prnewswire.com)
Bremerton, WA: “Thirty-three sailors assigned to the USS Michigan submarine were taken to the hospital Monday following potential exposure to exhaust from the boat’s diesel engine during maintenance work at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.”
Sailors taken to hospital for diesel exhaust exposure at shipyard (kitsapsun.com)
Comfort Suites – Freeport, Maine
“About 40 people were evacuated from the Comfort Suites in Freeport Tuesday morning after the gas-fired water heaters malfunctioned and caused a carbon monoxide leak. Firefighters arrived on scene around 9 a.m. A hotel maintenance worker noticed the leak Monday afternoon, but didn’t call 911.”
4 hospitalized after CO leak firefighters didn’t know about until next day in Freeport | WGME
South Point motel ordered closed due to violations | News | herald-dispatch.com
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — Authorities responded to a carbon monoxide leak early Tuesday morning at the Westin Governor Morris…firefighters from the five Morris Township stations and Madison worked to locate the source and evacuate guests. Officials located readings on all floors and secured issues with the boiler…”
Carbon Monoxide Leaks At Hotel In Greater Morristown | Morristown, NJ Patch
“Imagine suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, reporting it, and then being fired for seeking medical attention. Toxic work environment? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says yes.”
Skip the Headache: If Employee Needs Ambulance, Call One – EHS Daily Advisor (blr.com)
“At around 9:53 a.m. fire officials said that everyone in the 9-story Crown Plaza Hotel, located at 138-10 135th Avenue by JFK airport was being evacuated, as carbon monoxide levels reached 100-200ppm throughout the whole building — a “dangerous” level according to safety experts. One EMS member was hurt during the evacuation, and taken to Elmhurst Hospital…”
“You have somewhere between 10 to 15 cars idling, engines running, exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide being exposed in an inside garage…”
https://www.wxxv25.com/2021/06/03/gas-leak-comfort-inn-suites-gulfport-sends-five-hospital/
“State officials already planned to demolish the building when the leak occurred. Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Director Judy Bradshaw told the Register that the building did not have a carbon monoxide detector, even though the Legislature had passed a law the previous summer requiring state buildings to have them. Bradshaw said at the time that she was not aware of the law.”
Buffalo, NY – “Investigators believe the cause of the higher than normal carbon monoxide levels was due to an issue with an ice resurfacing machine.”
https://fox8.com/news/4-people-hospitalized-following-carbon-monoxide-leak-at-cuyahoga-falls-hotel/?fbclid=IwAR3zcbwTxByWYNRwusXPDX9ZjV4Ks-Y_Dd_Ube3_JQty-Y7-zoe4_7kSNEs
“Nine workers were taken to three different hospitals because the hyperbaric facilities needed for treatment have limited capacity.”
Jackson Hole, WY – “Workplace fatality stresses need for carbon monoxide detectors in homes, businesses.”
Houston, TX – “In January 2019, a worker at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in Waller alerted their employer that exposure to carbon monoxide made them ill and asked the employer to call an ambulance. In addition to refusing the worker’s request, the employer allegedly threatened to terminate the employee. After going to the hospital, the worker was terminated.”
Fayetteville, NC – “The detection of carbon monoxide Thursday morning, prompting the evacuation of cafeteria staff at Brentwood Elementary School…”
“When you book your first post-COVID-19 vacation rental, do you know if the hotel you book or home you rent requires CO alarms? The Fire Protection Research Foundation conducted a literature review to summarize existing requirements for installation of CO detection devices and consolidated the available and pertinent non-fire CO incident data.”
“A new Fire Protection Research Foundation report highlights the nation’s enduring CO problem”
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021spring/index.php?startid=20#/p/20
“In addition to installing CO detectors, every hotel should establish preventative maintenance schedules to properly maintain and inspect CO emitting equipment and their ventilation systems. They should also provide the necessary training education to their staff and especially their maintenance staff. Hotels should have knowledgeable engineers on staff and contract out maintenance of HVAC systems. Hotel franchisors need to fully understand the risk of CO poisoning and take a proactive stance to protect the guests who are sleeping in their hotels.”
Other media sources report cause of CO leak was a gas stove left on for over 24 hours.
Residents Evacuate La Jolla Assisted Living Center Due to Carbon Monoxide Leak
WAKEFIELD, Neb. — “Five people were hospitalized after a carbon monoxide incident at a bowling alley on Main Street in Wakefield Friday night. Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday, Wakefield Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the establishment at 311 Main St., “for a suspected gas leak with people down,” according to a press release from the Dixon County Sheriff’s Office.”
“Texas Gas Service said the carbon monoxide monitors in the area also went off”!! 
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/gas-leak-at-east-austin-elementary-school-friday-aisd-tells-students-to-stay-home/?fbclid=IwAR1mll2QMAEUqbO6kc4fxMBn1yEXknuKglv_RsyNBtqoYwnl9pDRPuCIK9Q
“Eight adults and 14 children were hospitalized on Thursday after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) swimming pool in Tainan, southern Taiwan.”
North Carolina – “At about 7:30 p.m., Kannapolis Fire responded to a call to the facility, and upon arrival, found one person who had passed out due to exposure to carbon monoxide…”
Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School – Baltimore, MD
Brooklyn, NY –
Two people were killed after being poisoned by carbon monoxide in an apartment building in Brooklyn Monday evening, fire officials said.
The two victims, identified by police sources as adult men, were sickened by the gas in a basement apartment on Avenue O near West 4th Street in Bensonhurst at about 7:40 p.m., authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the apartment and declared the two victims dead at the scene, fire officials said.
Four other people were treated at the scene, but did not require hospitalization, the FDNY said.
A man who lives on the second floor of the building said Monday night that he was dizzy and had a headache this weekend.
“We were getting headaches from Saturday night to overnight to Sunday,” the tenant, 27-year-old Carlos Hernandez, said. “From the morning when we woke up there was just dizziness and headaches.”
Hernandez said he felt so unwell that he went to a hospital to get a coronavirus test, which came back negative.
“Thankfully we had the window open at that point,” he said.
The cause of the leak is under investigation, but a police source said it did not appear suspicious. The buildings department was also investigating the cause, a spokesperson said.
https://nypost.com/2020/11/02/carbon-monoxide-gas-kills-two-people-in-brooklyn-apartment/
La Quinta Inn & Suites – “…Fire Department says they got a call that a person was ill in the pool area…leak was traced to the swimming pool heater.”
Texas –
“…it happened at Bida Vinh pool hall, 720 9th Avenue…preliminary information indicates several people needed a place to stay and they were staying inside the business. A generator had been placed outside.”
Beaverton, OR – “One patient was unconscious, unable to move on his own and one patient basically staggered outside with the help of Beaverton (police)…the call initially came in as a cardiac arrest.“
What’s in the air you’re breathing at work?
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/lfr-evacuates-west-lubbock-hotel-after-reports-of-carbon-monoxide-exposure/?fbclid=IwAR3JS0nrCR4QckUSGhKbA5YGf4TvYPAbgtGoN21Hq9PlHHNKnSowbO7CToY
Quality Inn, Rutland, VT – “…and the portion of the building where the rooms were located measured at 300 ppm…the building had 64 rooms, most or all of which were occupied by multiple people…vulnerable population and also apparently some essential workers…” Source of CO listed as a gas powered power washer.
Couple files class-action suit against Boulder Hyatt over 2018 carbon-monoxide leak
“Building owners should be especially concerned about brick chimneys…Inspect the chimneys for loose bricks. If the chimney provides ventilation for a fireplace or appliances such as furnaces or water heaters, make sure it still vents…also encourage building owners to ensure they have a working carbon monoxide detector.”
“One of the teacher’s husbands brought a carbon monoxide detector a few hours later to test, and when it was plugged in, the alarm went off immediately.”
Waldorf Astoria hotel, Chicago, IL
https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/pregnant-woman-rushed-to-hospital-following-carbon-monoxide-leak-in-albuquerque-apartment/?fbclid=IwAR0ZTflAb-GrCM65HMgP2yEn_3aZgcF4rX6UsBjP9nSzkbLBKuYFGEgmU8A
Jorgenson’s Inn & Suites, Helena, MT –
Hicksville, NY –
“Crews scoured the building and found carbon monoxide levels at 380 parts per million when they opened a door to a third-floor pool area.”
https://patch.com/new-york/hicksville/deadly-carbon-monoxide-levels-found-hicksville-gym-officials
Kate Bond Middle School, Cordova, TN –
Long Island, NY – “Firefighters say illegally installed heaters are to blame for a carbon monoxide leak in an apartment building…”
South Beach, FL – Shore Club Hotel
“The utility realized it was sending out the wrong mixture of gas to air to appliances such as boilers, clothes dryers, and stoves, with too much natural gas being sent out into the supply line. That type of mix could lead to carbon monoxide leaking into homes and businesses…” Businesses affected included the Marriott Hotel on Railroad Street.
Forbes – by Judy Stone, MD
A unique look at what it’s like to be poisoned by carbon monoxide in your hotel room. Thankfully these victims survived, however their experience highlights some of the many unaddressed questions of CO safety in hotels…namely, who is watching out for us when we check in?
North Syracuse, NY
https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/guests-evacuated-at-candlewood-suites-hotel-after-carbon-monoxide-scare/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe25r2gqqkLe45EAiZLFwLiUOvJOcsgIhtjrUenR0wIw6-KjNlAZ-j3M
Spokane, WA – “…residents were using three generators that were on the roof near the unit’s windows to power portable space heaters and other electronic devices…exhaust from the generators vented back into the cracked windows, causing increased levels of dangerous carbon monoxide to accumulate”
Queens, NY –
ELMHURST, QUEENS — A Queens McDonald’s was evacuated midday Wednesday after a report of high carbon monoxide levels, according to the FDNY.
The fast food chain at 80-03 Queens Blvd. was evacuated just after 2 p.m., a Fire Department spokesperson said.
No injuries have been reported, but FDNY units are still on the scene.
Spokane, WA –
As it gets colder, more people head inside with their windows and doors shut and their furnaces, stoves and fireplaces turned up high.
But Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said it’s prime time for carbon monoxide emergencies. In fact, there have been several in Spokane over the last few months.
The most recent incident happened at Luna, a restaurant on the South Hill. Chief Schaeffer said firefighters were called because someone reported feeling sick.
He said firefighters wear CO detectors, and as soon as they walked in, the detectors started going off, which meant the carbon monoxide level was too high.
A woman was taken to the hospital and the restaurant was evacuated.
It turned out the issue was a stove that wasn’t properly ventilating.
KHQ reached out to Luna. They didn’t want to be part of this story, but said the situation has been resolved.
Chief Schaeffer said there’s an easy way to prevent a similar situation from happening in your own home.
“This is the time of year to be proactive and make sure your CO detector is installed correctly, or that it has a battery backup,” Chief Schaeffer said.
He said everyone needs to have a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector on every floor of a home. They’re available on Amazon for less than $15.
It’s also important to note that if you’re renting an AirBnB, make sure to ask about carbon monoxide detectors. A study has showed that while 80 percent of them usually have smoke detectors, less than 50 percent usually have carbon monoxide detectors.
Salem, MA
No deaths and no injuries at this sorority house at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln…they had CO alarms, and they evacuated to fresh air and called 911 when they heard them going off. A model of what all CO exposure incidents should look like.
https://www.pe.com/2019/11/29/hemet-pd-2-found-dead-in-motel-room-with-very-high-levels-of-carbon-monoxide/
Omaha, NE – “Officials say they found a man collapsed in the pool basement…”
https://www.ketv.com/article/man-exposed-to-high-levels-of-carbon-monoxide-at-coco-keys/29821101
Dallas, TX – CO alarms provide an immediate alert when someone makes a life threatening mistake, like using a grill indoors. Hopefully these people are all okay and have no long term effects.
https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/11/13/10-hospitalized-carbon-monoxide-exposure-propane-grill-church/
Hingham, MA –
“Chipotle Mexican Grill at Hingham Derby Street Shops and the building it is attached to was evacuated Monday morning due to a carbon monoxide leak…one of the rooftop heating units was not working correctly and letting carbon monoxide into the restaurant.
The neighboring businesses had high carbon monoxide levels as well, so the fire department evacuated the entire building.”
“Firefighters were called to the meetinghouse at 650 E. Stadium Ave. in Provo just after 11 a.m. Sunday. They later learned that a boiler problem had sent a buildup of carbon monoxide into the church…Firefighters measured the carbon monoxide in the air at the church at 400 to 500 ppm…Of the 60 people treated, 24 underwent hyperbaric treatment, a therapy where people with carbon monoxide poisoning are put in a chamber filled with pure oxygen”
CO poisoning at Provo church serves as reminder of cold weather risks – Deseret News
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. —
“Several businesses in Commerce City were forced to evacuate on Friday after a carbon monoxide scare sent two people to the hospital.
The scare happened inside Chihua’s Menuderia Y Taqueria Mexican Restaurant along East 72nd Avenue around 9:15 a.m.”
https://kdvr.com/news/local/2-employees-sickened-by-carbon-monoxide-inside-commerce-city-restaurant/
Home2 Suites by Hilton – Columbus, OH
Glendale, WI –
“North Shore Fire says four people were treated on scene with two rushed to the hospital…’I’m not sure how long each of those employees was here but obviously progressing over the entire shift, being exposed to those levels could be fatal,’ Capt. Dan Tyk said….Firefighters said the highest levels of carbon monoxide were measured at 500 parts per million. Investigators said the oven hood wasn’t venting properly. ”
Just published in Preventive Medicine Reports…The Jenkins Foundation’s spreadsheet of hotel CO incidents helps add to 30 years (1989-2018) of published, publicly accessible data regarding CO poisoning in U.S. hotels. Thanks to leading CO researchers Dr. Neil Hampson, Dr. Lindell Weaver, and Kayla Deru, victims of these incidents now have a collective voice in the effort to bring attention to the to lack of universal requirements for CO detection in hotel buildings.
Hampton Inn – Myrtle Beach SC
https://www.wbtw.com/news/broadway-at-the-beach-hotel-evacuated-again-after-carbon-monoxide-leak-reported/?fbclid=IwAR0NLcVKn8we4-f_JxRB06e8SuZg8s3L3jj-CxJw0HWhf48BXDbl4jyviNo
Lees-McRae College – Banner Elk, NC
Hampton Inn – Myrtle Beach, SC
Several businesses were evacuated, and four people evaluated, after carbon monoxide was detected Monday afternoon at Columbia Square, the strip mall anchored by Chuck’s Produce in east Vancouver.
Emergency crews were dispatched at 4:25 p.m. to 13215 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd. Readings revealed carbon monoxide levels were above normal, Vancouver firefighter-spokeswoman Eva Scherer said. The four people evaluated for symptoms of exposure declined transport to a hospital.
The call originated from an alarm at a Supercuts barbershop, and nine businesses were affected, Scherer said. Chuck’s Produce was not among the businesses evacuated.
An “oily” or exhaust-like odor was reported, said Bob Sisson, owner of Kazoodles toy store at the east end of the shopping mall. Sisson said it appeared the issue started inside a vacant storefront near Supercuts. Workers left the space about 3:30 p.m.
https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/aug/26/scanner-carbon-monoxide-reported-at-shopping-mall/
Chicago, IL – condominium pool
Brooklyn, NY –
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) — One person is dead and four others were sickened after apparent carbon monoxide exposure in a Brooklyn building.
Emergency responders were called to 211 Jackson Street in East Williamsburg around 6:10 a.m. and found five people unconscious.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, and four others were taken to the hospital in serious but non-life threatening conditions.
The FDNY has evacuated the building as well as an adjoining property 207 Jackson Street.
Officials said a generator was found in use at the scene, but the incident remains under investigation.
The FDNY said the victims were exposed to a carbon monoxide level of 250 parts per million. Levels over 70 ppm are considered dangerous.
The affected property is for sale and vacant, so the FDNY said the victims appear to be squatters.
https://abc7ny.com/williamsburg-brooklyn-carbon-monoxide-leak/5439951/
Hilton Garden Inn – Estero, FL
Insignia Hotel, Brooklyn, NY – another example of how CO exposure is not always related to a fuel burning appliance
Quality Inn & Suites – Butte, Montana
“…construction at a store inside the mall caused the leak…Amy Towne, the manager at the luggage store Tumi, said she was rushed to the emergency room after falling ill at work.
‘Around noon-ish I wasn’t feeling well. I was feeling really tired, dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseous,’ Towne explained. ‘It wasn’t until the fire department showed up in the store, which was after 1:30 p.m. that we were told there were high levels of carbon monoxide in our building and we had to evacuate.'”
Short Pump store manager treated for carbon monoxide poisoning during evacuation (wtvr.com)
Best Western hotel, Asheville, North Carolina
CRYSTAL LAKE, IL —
“One person was taken to the hospital after exhaust from a Zamboni machine lead to elevated carbon monoxide levels at the Crystal Lake Ice House on Saturday, fire officials said. Authorities initially responded to the ice rink, at 320 E. Prairie Street, for an EMS call at about 1:40 p.m. While at the scene, fire officials determined there were elevated carbon monoxide levels in the building, which houses three ice rinks, according to a news release from the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department. At the time, the ice rinks were being used for a hockey tournament…”
https://patch.com/illinois/crystallake/zamboni-blame-carbon-monoxide-incident-fire-officials
Unresponsive male and another victim taken to the hospital from Days Inn in Erie, PA…
https://www.goerie.com/news/20190525/carbon-monoxide-leak-sickens-2-forces-evacuation-of-hotel
Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dead in Mexico City
Travelodge by Wyndham in Gillette, WY…
The Campbell County Fire Department responded to the following incidents:
Comfort Inn Suites in Omaha, NE….
https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/omaha-hotel-evacuated-due-to-carbon-monoxide-concerns
School closed as students test positive for carbon monoxide at Crestview Elementary School in Waldport, Oregon…https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2019/04/classes-canceled-at-oregon-coast-school-after-students-test-positive-for-carbon-monoxide.html
Holiday Inn Express – Saugus, MA
https://patch.com/massachusetts/melrose/saugus-holiday-inn-express-evacuated-carbon-monoxide-reports
Quality Inn Suites – Norfolk, VA
https://wtkr.com/2019/04/07/floor-evacuated-one-person-in-hospital-after-carbon-monoxide-exposure-in-norfolk-hotel/
Baymont Inn & Suites – Pierre, SD
https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/nearly-70-nursing-home-patients-evacuated-after-carbon-monoxide-leak
Pershing Elementary School in Lincoln, NE, evacuated for CO leak… Read here. (Lincoln Journal Star)
CO leak at National Cleaners in Crest Hill, IL, initially reported as a gas leak…https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/hazmat-closes-larkin-avenue-fire-department
Rainbow Elementary School in Madison, AL, evacuated for high CO levels related to broken boiler…https://whnt.com/2019/03/07/rainbow-elementary-closed-after-boiler-malfunction/
CO incident at Noble Correctional Institution in Caldwell, OH, poisons 29 inmates and 4 staff…http://www.timesleaderonline.com/news/local-news/2019/03/carbon-monoxide-incident-at-caldwell-prison-leads-to-changes/
Nowata County Jail in Nowata, OK, evacuated after CO exposure of inmates and staff…https://ktul.com/news/local/nowata-county-sheriffs-office-releases-update-after-carbon-monoxide-leak-at-jail
NO CO alarms at a Hendersonville, TN, preschool where children were poisoned…https://fox17.com/news/local/at-least-28-treated-for-carbon-monoxide-exposure-at-hendersonville-preschool
CO POISONING CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE…exposure incident at Hudson MA…https://www.boston25news.com/news/carbon-monoxide-incident-at-hudson-strip-mall-sends-3-people-to-hospital/925533923
Evacuation of Owings Mills, MD, school…https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/02/25/owings-mills-carbon-monoxide-leak-evacaution/
Do you have a student living a college dorm? This is a scary example of why they should be sure to have a working CO alarm in their room. Many colleges are not required to provide them…http://www.woffordoldgoldandblack.com/2019/02/22/shipp-carbon-monoxide-catastrophe/
CO poisoning from malfunctioning forklift in Rock Falls, IL…https://www.saukvalley.com/2019/02/22/carbon-monoxide-scare-in-rock-falls-sends-two-workers-for-treatment/a77r0n2/
MENU