Carbon Monoxide Safety

Carbon monoxide (CO) is called the invisible killer because the gas cannot be seen or smelled.  Carbon monoxide gas can enter the air from a number of flame fueled devices like ovens, ranges, clothes dryers, furnaces, water heaters, space heaters, fireplaces and grills.  If you have any of these items in your home, it is a good idea to install carbon monoxide detectors.

Symptoms of exposure to carbon monoxide include dull headache, weakness, dizziness, and nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision and loss of consciousness.  If you experience any of these symptoms you should seek medical attention.

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning make sure all vents for dryers, stove, furnace and fireplaces are clean and clear.  Have heating equipment and fireplaces professionally inspected and cleaned every year.  Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.  Do not leave a car running in the garage.  Use grills and generators outside only.

Install a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home.  They should be placed at least five feet from the floor or on the ceiling.  They should be placed outside sleeping areas.  These need to be tested monthly.

Monitored CO alarms can save lives.  These can be added to your current alarm system.  The detector will sound the alarm and the central station will call you and ask you to leave the premise immediately and send emergency help right away.  For more information call Central Monitoring Services 229-431-0800.

4 Common Sources of Fire in Commercial Buildings

The possible consequences of an office fire are enormous. When researchers at Factory Mutual Engineering and Research (FME&R) conducted a survey of 490 office fires, they found the average loss was $260,000.That was not counting the cost of lost work, disorganization and inconvenience that inevitably accompanies such an event. Clean-up may take weeks, during which time the office’s business may have to be temporarily relocated.

As it turns out, many of these fires could have been prevented by exercising a little caution. Office fires are usually caused by just a few factors, so paying particular attention to these areas can often prevent a tragedy later:

1)Cooking Equipment

Most offices have a kitchen or break room with a stove and perhaps a toaster, coffee maker or other heat-generating device. Flammable items like paper plates and napkins are often stored dangerously close to these, constituting a fire risk. Grease traps can get overfilled, exhaust vents can get clogged and deep fryers can build up heavy layers of flammable grease. Each of these is a fire risk that can easily be prevented. Cleaning them is hard work, and it is worth the price to hire a professional service to come in and do periodic cleanings.

2)Electrical Faults

Old wiring with broken insulation can function fine for years, then suddenly cause a disastrous fire from just one flammable piece of dust or fiber. Broken insulation on two adjacent wires can cause short circuits and generate sparks, igniting insulation or sawdust within the walls. Extension cords can get overloaded, resulting in a dangerous build-up of heat. Your Albany fire protection agency can perform an office inspection to find these issues before they become serious problems.

3)Improper storage of flammable materials

Books and papers pile up quickly in some businesses. If a hot plate or coffee maker is too close to a pile of these flammable materials, they can slowly get warmer until the point of ignition is reached.

4)Obstruction of fire sprinkler heads

We tend to ignore the sprinkler heads on the ceiling, and sometimes pieces of furniture or stacked items are carelessly placed underneath them. Anything that blocks part of the spray pattern is decreasing the effectiveness of the sprayer, so leave plenty of space under each sprinkler head.

In general, clutter is the worst enemy. Most of these issues can be eliminated simply by removing piles of papers and other flammables, or at least keeping them away from the vicinity of heat sources. However, the condition of the electrical system is a matter requiring professional attention, and periodic inspections are needed to find flaws before they turn into disasters.

No one wants a fire to break out, but if it does, a full-service monitoring company provides the best defense against catastrophic damage and loss. 24-hour monitoring means the fire department will be contacted immediately in the event of a fire, and help will be on the way quickly.