Simple Solution to Protect HVAC Professionals Against CO Poisoning

On the right of an image is an orange Crowcon Personal Gas Detector. On the left of the image large, white text on a black background reads "Protecting HVAC Professionals Against CO Poisoning".

Odourless, colourless, and tasteless, carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic, potentially deadly gas that HVAC professionals risk encountering daily. Thankfully, there is a simple, small, safe solution to protecting HVAC workers: Crowcon CO Gas Detectors.[1]

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Where Does CO Come From?
Why is CO Dangerous?
What Puts HVAC Workers at Risk?
How Can HVAC Professionals Protect Themselves?
Work Place CO Limits
Further Information

Where Does CO Come From?

Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as wood, oil, coal, paraffin, LPG, petrol, and natural gas. This is often due to insufficient heat or oxygen to generate carbon dioxide. Sub-optimal combustion conditions may result from a lack of maintenance causing, for instance:

Lack of air and subsequently oxygen for complete combustion
Spoiled air with a lower oxygen ratio, which brings about incomplete combustion
Excessive water vapour in the atmosphere, effecting oxygen depletion and, therefore, incomplete combustion and creation of carbon monoxide

Why is CO Dangerous?

Sadly, our red blood cells, the ones that carry oxygen to the body’s tissues and organs, have a preference for carbon monoxide. The haemoglobin in these red blood cells finds it easier to absorb and circulate CO. As a result, they become saturated with CO which is transported around the body as carboxyhaemoglobin and prevents red blood cells from delivering oxygen to the rest of our cells. Starved of oxygen vital for respiration, cells in our body become damaged; in severe cases this can cause vital organs, such as the brain and heart, to fail.

The atmospheric CO concentration and the duration of exposure can result in various symptoms. Untreated or unaddressed, carbon monoxide poisoning is fatal.

Carbon Monoxide Concentration in Parts Per Million (ppm)	Duration	Symptoms
200ppm	2-3 hours	Headache
400ppm	1-2 hours	Headache and nausea
400ppm	3 hours	Life-threatening
800ppm	1 hour (or less)	Seizures, severe headaches, and vomiting
800ppm	1-2 hours	Unconsciousness
1500ppm	20 minutes (or less)	Dizziness, nausea, and unconsciousness
1500ppm	1 hour (or less)	Death
6400ppm	2-3 breaths	Unconsciousness
6400ppm	15 minutes (or less)	Death

What Puts HVAC Workers at Risk?

Unfortunately, the nature of HVAC professionals’ work often places them in locations or situations prone to the generation of carbon monoxide. For example:

Confined spaces, such as basements or lofts, where there is a lack of air and, therefore, oxygen to ensure complete combustion
Malfunctioning heating appliances or heating appliances with broken/worn seals and/or blocked/cracked/collapsed flues and chimneys enable products of complete and incomplete combustion to enter the atmosphere
Open-flued appliances allow CO to escape into the atmosphere, especially if the flue is spilling; this situation is made more perilous if ventilation is poor and/or the chimney is blocked
Flue-less gas fires and/or cookers put HVAC professionals at risk of CO poisoning, particularly if the room is of inadequate size and/or the ventilation is poor

How Can HVAC Professionals Protect Themselves?

Personal gas detectors or portable gas area monitors can be used to measure the concentration of gases in the atmosphere. Crowcon offers various models designed to detect many different gases including carbon monoxide. Lightweight clip-on models, like the SGD Single Gas Detector, Gasman Detector, T4 Multigas Detector, Tetra 3 Multigas Detector, and GasPro Detectors, provide a convenient method of monitoring CO; many models will also trigger audible, visual, and/or vibrating alarms when carbon monoxide levels become unsafe.

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Similarly, teams may monitor carbon monoxide (as well as other gases) using a Crowcon Area Monitor, such as the Crowcon Detective+ Multigas Area Monitor, which will also issue visual and audible warnings when hazardous levels are detected. Furthermore, multiple Detective+ Multigas Monitors may be connected to create a gas monitoring network. Units in this network share data wirelessly and will simultaneously alert workers in the area if one unit detects a dangerous gas concentration.

Work Place CO Limits

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a list of workplace exposure limits for a range of hazardous substances including carbon monoxide. As of August 2022, the Health and Safety Executive advises the following legally-binding CO exposure limits.