Fifty-two people and one dog were evacuated from a Super 8 motel in Winnipeg Tuesday morning after a carbon monoxide (CO) leak was detected in the building.
46 people were taken to hospital for CO exposure, 15 considered to be in critical condition. Everyone had been discharged from hospital as of Wednesday.
“Today’s incident at a Winnipeg hotel was not a gas leak. It was a carbon monoxide poisoning,” Manitoba Hydro tweeted. “CO is produced by the incomplete combustion/ventilation of gas stoves, heating boilers, furnaces, propane barbecues, gas-powered water heaters & clothes dryers.”
While natural gas has a rotten egg smell that helps with detection, carbon monoxide is odorless. For it to be detected, a carbon monoxide alarm is required which is why you need a CO alarm in your home and business. The initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are flu-like, but without a fever. They may include dull headache, weakness, dizziness and nausea. High-level poisoning can result in vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision and loss of consciousness.
The fire service crews detected carbon monoxide throughout the hotel with levels up to 385 parts per million. Normal levels are 0-2 parts per million, according to a bulletin from the Fire Commissioner’s Office of Manitoba. The bulletin notes that exposure between 200 and 400 parts per million can lead to slight headaches, fatigue, dizziness and nausea after two to three hours.
Each year 400 deaths and 20,000 visits to the emergency room are caused by CO poisoning?
Is your boiler room, building and people protected from the silent killer carbon monoxide?
Looking for a cost effective & easy to install life saving product? Use our AGS Mini Merlin.
The Mini Merlin is a dual gas sensor carefully designed and tested to monitor Natural Gas – Methane (CH4) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) in the air. If there is a dangerous build-up of gas or unsafe levels of carbon monoxide at the sensor, this device can shut off the gas supply via a gas safety valve and/or a gas fire appliance.
This device has additional features for resetting systems, as well as audible and visual alarms – it can also be integrated with a Building Management System (BMS) and is readily available for purchase from our Florida warehouse & across North America thru our man reps.
Example installations are below:
Commercial Boilerhouse
Residential Boilerhouse
For further information on our Mini Merlin refer to our datasheets or alternatively contact our offices today. Info@americangassafety.com / (727)-608-4375
Full details of the news coverage can be found on the following link – https://winnipegsun.com/news/local-news/forty-six-people-to-hospital-after-suspected-carbon-monoxide-leak-at-hotel
