December 12th, 2017
According to the latest data compiled by staff of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), heating systems continue to be one of the major causes of non-fire, non-motor vehicle carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. An estimated 217 people died as a result of this kind of CO poisoning during 1996, the most recent year with complete death certificate data. Of these deaths, heating systems were involved in 163 fatalities, or about 75% of all consumer product-related CO poisoning deaths (Figure 1). Other consumer products reported to have been involved in CO poisoning deaths were charcoal grills (19), gas ranges and ovens (15), gas water heaters (8), and camp cooking stoves and lanterns (3). Two-thirds of these deaths occurred in homes, including mobile homes and garages. The remaining incidents occurred in locations such as sport or recreational areas, streets or highways, and other remote areas, where the victims were spending the night in automobiles or trucks and/or camping.