Carbon monoxide and its dangers

In winter, the number of fires in the residential sector usually increases, and the colder the weather, the more often fires occur. Here, faulty or incorrectly arranged stoves manifest themselves.

For 10 months of the current year, 6 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning occurred in the Ulan district and 12 cases of fire were registered due to non-compliance with fire safety rules during installation and operation of heating stoves.

Let's take a closer look at how the oven should be arranged. We know that when the furnace is fired, its walls heat up and transfer heat to the surrounding air. in the same places where the furnace comes into contact with the building structures, heat transfer is slower – heat accumulation occurs. During intensive heating, a high temperature is created in these places, which can ignite wood and other combustible elements of the building. To prevent this from happening, a free space is left between the walls of the furnace and the structures to be burned – walls, beams, ceiling coverings - or a fire-fighting cutting of bricks with a thickness of at least 38 cm is arranged. If the combustible structures are protected with a layer of asbestos, the width of the fire-fighting cutting can be reduced to 25 cm.

Chimneys, chimneys and other elements of heating stoves and systems should be cleaned of soot immediately before the start, as well as during the heating season at least:

1) once every three months - for heating stoves;

2) once every two months - for stoves and hearths of continuous operation.

Stoves and other continuous (long-term) furnaces must be cleaned at least once a month.

Fires are often caused by sparks flying through cracks in the walls of stoves and chimneys. Especially dangerous is the presence of cracks in the attic part of the chimneys. And what is easier to cover the cracks with clay and whitewash with lime. It does not require a large amount of money to repair the oven doors, nail the pre-heating iron sheet 70 x 50 cm in size, and fix other malfunctions.

It is also necessary to clean chimneys from soot in a timely manner. Pipes of heating stoves should be cleaned every two months of their operation, and if necessary, depending on the quality of solid fuel, every month and keep in good fire-fighting condition.

On the territory of the Ulan district in the 1st peasant farm as a result of violation of fire safety rules, two workers received fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

Among the many causes of death in fires in residential buildings, one can be identified – carbon monoxide poisoning. 22.10.2020 year in one of the villages, Ulan district, citizen L. being drunk, leaving the cigarette butt unquenched, fell asleep. As a result, the floor covering caught fire and spread to the materials and got carbon monoxide poisoning and died.

What is carbon monoxide? This is worth talking about in detail. Carbon monoxide – carbon monoxide (CO), colorless gas, odorless, is part of the lighting, natural, generator, exhaust, blast furnace, powder and other gases. It is formed by incomplete combustion of substances containing carbon. A mixture of carbon monoxide and oxygen in a ratio of 2: 1-explodes when ignited. Carbon monoxide enters the body and is excreted unchanged through the respiratory system. The actual effect is due to the formation of carboxyhemoglobin, which is not able to bind oxygen, resulting in oxygen starvation and damage to the Central nervous system.

The first signs of carbon monoxide poisoning are: tinnitus, headache, pulsation of the temporal vessels, dizziness, rapid breathing and sharp weakness in the legs. Then there is drowsiness, sometimes fainting, increased shortness of breath, vomiting, convulsions of the limbs, involuntary discharge of feces and urine. In the absence of help, a deep unconsciousness develops. Severe poisoning is characterized by a bright red color of the skin of the entire body.

First aid to the victim-it is necessary to remove or remove as soon as possible (if he is unconscious) from the infected atmosphere to fresh air. When unconscious, perform prolonged artificial respiration (until consciousness appears), and then alternate inhaling oxygen with inhaling Carbogen. In severe cases, the patient should be immediately hospitalized.

Therefore, citizens, be careful when operating heating stoves!