Yesterday, 20:00 • 4 minutes reading time
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REGION – A fourteen-year-old boy died on Saturday after sudden carbon monoxide poisoning in a flat on the Melis Stokelaan in The Hague. Six others, including some paramedics, were taken to hospital. Every year, about five to ten people in the Netherlands die from carbon monoxide poisoning, but according to the Dutch Safety Board, the problem is in reality many times greater. What can you do to prevent this ‘silent silent killer’?
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How common is carbon monoxide poisoning?
Every year in the Netherlands, an average of five to ten people die from carbon monoxide poisoning, but a 2015 research report by the Dutch Safety Board casts doubt on that figure: exposure to an increased concentration of carbon monoxide and several hundred injuries. The Council estimates that the scale of the problem with carbon monoxide is three to five times greater. However, the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often not recognized, so that a correct diagnosis is not made.’
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Paul Frijters of the Hollands-Midden fire brigade acknowledges that carbon monoxide does not occur incidentally, especially in the winter period. ‘The heating is on again because it is getting colder. As a fire brigade, we are regularly called out for a strange air. You can’t smell carbon monoxide, but afterwards it often turns out that there is carbon monoxide after all.’
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When are you at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning?
Carbon monoxide can be formed in any appliance with open combustion. Think not only of a central heating boiler, but also, for example, an open fireplace or a gas heater. According to Frijters, the fact that only old boilers are at risk of producing carbon monoxide is a persistent myth that does not fit with reality. ‘In about half of the cases, carbon monoxide is present in new installations,’ he explains.
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The research report supports Frijters’ statement. About 46 percent of the carbon monoxide cases involved the installation of a new central heating boiler. “This differs from the idea that especially old geysers or poorly maintained appliances would produce too much carbon monoxide,” the report reads. In some cases, carbon monoxide is created by a faulty flue gas discharge.
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What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide, also known as CO, is an odorless, invisible gas that is created when certain fuels, such as oil, gas or wood, do not burn completely. Carbon monoxide prevents the blood from absorbing oxygen. ‘Actually, it’s just a silent killer’, says Paul Frijters. “It arises and very slowly you start to slip away.”
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How do you recognize carbon monoxide poisoning?
Exposure to low concentrations of carbon monoxide causes symptoms that are comparable to flu symptoms, says Frijters. “You get a headache and get a little nauseous and dizzy.” That exposure can be very rapid, but it can also build up gradually over a longer period of time. The danger is then not immediately recognized, and that is a major risk, according to Frijters. “Then you don’t notice it right away, and you may think it’s just fatigue or the flu, until it’s too late.”
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How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
According to the fire service, there are three actions that someone can take to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. ‘Ventilate, check and alarm’, says Frijters. ‘Ventilation: nowadays most houses are so well insulated that there is almost no air circulation anymore. If carbon monoxide is then formed, it has nowhere to go. So leave your windows ajar or open the ventilation grilles.’
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‘Checking means that you have your combustion appliances checked annually by an authorized technician,’ says Frijters. In addition, it is also important, for example, to regularly sweep the chimney. As a last preventive measure: alarm. ‘Now hang up that carbon monoxide detector, because it is vitally important,’ concludes Frijters. The expert recommends having a detector in every room with a device that can produce carbon monoxide.
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