During the colder months, many people like to fire up their heaters and furnaces in order to give their home a toasty warm atmosphere. Yet sometimes using these heaters, furnaces, or other sources of heat can actually do more harm than good. That is because some heaters and other such devices give off carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can act as a poison and eventually kill those who are inhaling it. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, two women recently died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the Chicago area because of high levels of carbon monoxide due to a heater that was running. A man from Oxford, Connecticut suffered a similar fate as well when he was housesitting for a family with an unsafe heating system. These two instances in recent weeks confirm that home heating systems can be lethal if they are not worked properly and if precautions are not made.

According to the CPSC, most home heating system injuries and deaths are due to carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have fuel-burning heating appliances such as a furnace, a chimney, or water heater, you should have them checked by a professional every single year to make sure that they are working properly. A malfunctioning appliance may leak toxic gases that may eventually lead to your injury. In order to continue taking precautions, you should have carbon monoxide alarms installed on every level of your home. This way if there is any carbon monoxide leaking into your residency it will be detected. Because you cannot smell or see the gas, many people fall under its affects before they can even consciously determine that the gas is in their home. These alarms can be both a life saver and a comfort to homeowners who have fuel-burning appliances.

Another dangerous appliance that you need to monitor is a generator. Many people use these appliances to preserve power when their electricity goes out. Unfortunately, the generators leak carbon monoxide. You should never run a generator within a house, near an open window or in a garage. Many people place their generators in the garage and as a result the carbon monoxide builds up in the room. This can eventually lead to poisoning. A New CPSC report shows that being careful about carbon monoxide is not an extreme step. Instead, it is a wise tactic.

There is an average of 169 unintentional non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning deaths every single year. About 1/3 of these reported deaths are from a heating system that leaked the dangerous gas. More than 40% of all carbon monoxide deaths have to do with generators. In most of these cases, homeowners kept their generators in the garage or basement where the fumes from the carbon monoxide invaded that house. This is extremely dangerous. Most carbon monoxide deaths happen during the winter months because these are when storms are most likely to knock the power out. This is also the time that it is most common for people to use their heaters because the outdoor temperatures are normally so cold at this time of year.

In addition to the prevalent risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, there is another home heating danger that causes death and injury every year. Space heaters can spark and start a fire if they break. That is why it is very important that you always turn off the space heater if you leave the room or if you are about to fall asleep. Never place a hot space heater near anything that could burn including curtains, bed clothes, laundry or furniture. Also, never place clothes or shoes by a space heater in order to get them to dry. The outfits may catch fire and start a horrific blaze that can lead to injury, property damage, and death. If you want more information about home heater safety or if you have been injured by a space heater or a carbon monoxide situation, then contact an attorney today for more information!