When you combine carbon monoxide (CO) with confined spaces there is a high probability that the results will be deadly. CO is an odorless, colorless, toxic gas that can cause sudden illness or death due to asphyxiation. There are potential CO dangers at home, at work and even at play. CO is also flammable within certain concentrations.

Other names for CO gas include: coal gas, carbon oxide, exhaust gas and flue gas. There are many sources of CO: cars and trucks, boats, small gasoline engines, stoves, generators, heaters and many, many industrial processes involving furnaces, boilers and burners. When CO from such sources is released within an enclosed or poorly ventilated area, it becomes a confined space hazard that is potentially dangerous to people and animals.

According to the CDC, NiOSH and OSHA, carbon monoxide is considered highly dangerous and requires preventative measures to avoid accidents. At the 200 ppm level in the air, CO forms carboxyhemoglobin in the blood that prevents the distribution of oxygen in the body. At the 1000 ppm level, CO exposure may be fatal. People with pre-existing conditions, such as heart or lung disease, are more susceptible to the effects of this toxic gas.

Carbon monoxide exposure sources range from hydrocarbons to microbial decomposition in sewers, grain silos and fermentation tanks. Common symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, leg weakness and confusion. There is often little warning before a person experiencing CO poisoning experiences symptoms that inhibit their ability to seek safety. Even when death is avoided, over exposure to CO can result in permanent neurological damage and other health problems.

You are probably familiar with the dangers of CO at home due to heating systems. House-hold carbon monoxide monitors prevent deadly family accidents. The government now also warns that the increased use of home electrical generators due to electrical utility power outages is leading to CO deaths when the gas powered generators are placed in confined spaces, such as poorly ventilated basements and garages.

At work, CO danger isn’t limited to any particular industry. Toll collectors, tunnel officers and parking garage attendants all face CO exposure hazards. Workers using gasoline-powered pressure washers have been injured or killed in such diverse working environments as a farmer in his barn and a cleaning crew in an underground garage. A municipal employee at a waste treatment plant lost consciousness while trying to exit from a 59,000-cubic foot room where he had been working with a gas-powered pump.

Workers in the steel industry and other metal processing or finishing plants must take care to avoid CO exposure. In steel plants, large production system furnaces are frequently powered by coal and are a toxic CO hazard. These plants require multi-point CO monitoring systems, with elaborate visual and other alarming devices to protect employees.

The electric utility industry is another source of potential CO exposure that endangers employees. Many power generating plants burn coal in furnaces to heat large boilers creating steam, which powers turbines that generate electricity. Prior to use, the coal is frequently stored in underground storage vaults and transported via conveyor systems through tunnels to the furnaces. The tunnels and conveyor systems require CO monitoring to protect employees. CO, at certain levels, also has proven to be a precursor to fires in these tunnel systems.



Typical gases used: CO, O₂, CH₄
Applications: Conveyers: Flame Detection
                    Employee Tunnels: CO, O₂, CH₂
                    Coal Shutes: CO, CH₄

At play, boaters are frequently the victims of CO poisoning from their engines -- often with deadly results as they sleep below the top deck. A popular Southwest river recreation area with heavy boater traffic reported the drowning death of a boy who showed signs of CO poisoning. There also have been concerns reported about CO at indoor ice skating rinks and indoor stadiums hosting automotive events, such as tractor pulls.

General Monitors, with over 40 years of toxic gas monitoring experience, can help you complete a carbon monoxide and confined space risk assessment at work. Our well trained field engineers have experience at identifying CO and confined space hazards in a wide range of plants -- from oil/gas refineries to chemical processing to wastewater treatment and much more.

Our advanced family of TS-Series Intelligent Toxic Gas Detectors can monitor nine different gases, including CO and Oxygen Deficiency. This fixed gas detector features a highly intelligent micro-processor based design with networking capabilities that include Modbus compatibility. It is simple to install and features one-person calibration, which means that it virtually self-calibrates by activating a magnetic switch and applying gas.

Free Demonstrations
Free demonstrations of the TS4000 Toxic Gas Detector and the MC600 Multi-Channel Controller are available below. If you’re having a problem with toxic or combustible gas detection in your plant, chances are that our expert Technical Staff has seen it before and can help you with the answers. We’ll visit your plant, take a look at the problem, suggest solutions and bring along an actual TS4000 and MC600 to show you how it works in person.