Four winns Vista 328 Owner's Manual page 26

A. Properties and Characteristics of Carbon Mon-
oxide
1. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless and taste-
less gas. It is commonly referred to as CO.
2. Its weight is about the same as air so it cannot be
expected to rise or fall like some other gases, but
will distribute itself throughout the space.
NOTICE
DO NOT rely on the use of smell or sight of
other gases to detect CO, because it diffuses in
the air much more rapidly than easily detectable
(visible and odorous) gases.
B. What Makes Carbon Monoxide
Any time a material containing carbon burns such as
gasoline, natural gas, oil, propane, coal, or wood, CO is
produced.
Common sources of carbon monoxide are:
1. Internal combustion engines.
2. Open flame devices such as:
a. Cooking ranges
b. Central heating plants
c. Space heaters
d. Water heaters
e. Fireplaces
f. Charcoal grills
C. How a Person is Affected by Carbon
Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is absorbed by the lungs and reacts
with blood hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin, which
reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. The
result is a lack of oxygen for the tissues with the subse-
quent tissue death and, if prolonged, death of the in-
dividual.
D. Effects of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide in high concentrations can be fatal in
a matter of minutes. Lower concentrations must not be
ignored because the effects of exposure to CO are cu-
mulative and can be just as lethal.
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Certain health related problems and age will increase
the effects of CO. People who smoke or are exposed to
high concentrations of cigarette smoke, consume alco-
hol or have lung disorders or heart problems, are par-
ticularly susceptible to an increase in the effects from
CO. However, all occupants’ health should be consid-
ered. Physical exertion accelerates the rate at which
the blood absorbs CO.
E. Symptoms
One or more of the following symptoms can signal the
adverse effect of CO accumulation:
1. Watering and itchy eyes
2. Flushed appearance
3. Throbbing temples
4. Inattentiveness
5. Inability to think coherently
6. Ringing in the ears
7. Tightness across the chest
8. Headache
9. Drowsiness
10. Incoherence
11. Nausea
12. Dizziness
13. Fatigue
14. Vomiting
15. Collapse
16. Convulsions
NOTICE
The order of the above list is generally the se-
quence of appearance of symptoms. However,
the order of appearance may change for differ-
ent people.
NOTICE
The symptoms of Carbon monoxide poison-
ing may easily be mistaken for seasickness.
F. Treatment (Evacuate, Ventilate, Investigate, Take
Corrective Action)
1. Move the person to fresh air.
2. Administer oxygen if available.
3. Contact Medical help.
4. If the victim is not breathing, perform artificial respi-
ration per approved CPR procedures until medical
help arrives and takes over.
Section B
Page 5