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Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month
November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month. We invite you to join us on our mission of driving comprehensive conversations on the public health crisis of chronic and acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Each year in the United States, there are over 100,000 ER visits and 1,200 deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Together, let's use our collective generosity to create a safer and healthier world.
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Please take this time to learn about carbon monoxide safety and share important, life saving, and injury prevention information with the people you care about most. If you are able, please donate. November 1 - December 3, donations up to a total of $5,000 will be matched by our matching sponsors. December 3 is GivingTuesday, making this the prime season to be charitable and help save lives.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic gas, produced by fuel burning devices. Carbon monoxide can’t be seen, smelled, or heard, but can be extremely dangerous to humans. Carbon monoxide is only detectable with an electronic carbon monoxide sensor, alarm, or detector.​
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100,000
annual emergency room visits caused by carbon monoxide poisoning
14,000
hospitalizations due to carbon monoxide
1,200+
people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning, and that number is rising
64%
of non-fatal carbon monoxide poisonings happen in the home and can cause injury with long-term effects
85%
of residents believe that their carbon monoxide alarm will alert them to the presence of any level of carbon monoxide, however, most alarms will not go off for low levels, which can be harmful
Carbon monoxide is dangerous for everyone and does not discriminate! However, among the most vulnerable are these high-risk groups.
Elderly
Children
Hearing Impaired
Pregnant People
Immunocompromised
Socially/Economically Disadvantaged
Pets
Carbon monoxide is produced by fuel burning appliances and tools. You may have many in your home. Make sure you are aware of all of fuel burning appliances and tools in your home.
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The best way to protect yourself, family, and friends from carbon monoxide, is to prevent it. Follow these carbon monoxide safety tips.
Have your appliances checked during inspection and then again every year.
Ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is placed near each fuel-burning appliance.
Look for signs of a carbon monoxide leak (soot or black residue on appliances or above a fireplace).
Replace carbon monoxide alarms approximately every 10 years (or per manufacturer recommendations).
Use generators at least 20 feet away from any buildings.
Turn your car off in the garage, never leave the engine running.
Don't rely exclusively on carbon monoxide alarms, as they may not detect slow, lingering leaks under 30 ppm.
Do not use outdoor appliances inside or near open windows (grill, gas lantern, etc.).
Carry a carbon monoxide detector that goes to 0 ppm if you’re part of a vulnerable population.
Clear snow near your car’s exhaust in the snowy winter.
Stay upwind of any carbon monoxide sources outside.
Accidents happen. Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. You can be poisoned in 2 ways: acute and chronic.
Acute Poisoning
Chronic Poisoning
Occurs by breathing large amounts of carbon monoxide over a short period of time.
Occurs by breathing small amounts of carbon monoxide over an extended period of time.
Headache
Feeling physically better when not at the site of poisoning
Unconsciousness
Behavior changes & mood disorders
Dizziness
Breathlessness
Nausea
Reoccurring & unexplained illnesses
Lung, heart, and brain damage
Body system interference
Collapsing
Symptoms related to toxic poisoning
If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, it is an emergency. Follow these steps:
Immediately remove yourself and loved ones from the environment (home, business, school, vehicle, RV, garage).
Call for help (911, Fire Department, Gas company, qualified maintenance teams equipped with electronic sensors).
Do not return inside until you’re given all clear by emergency personnel or certified contractors.
Don’t use the faulty or improperly vented appliance again until it’s fixed.
After exposure, your cognitive abilities may be impaired. Have someone immediately drive you to the nearest medical facility. Carbon monoxide poisoning tests are time-sensitive (2.5-4 hours, ideally < 2 hours) and knowing your exposure level is important for a plan of care.
Participate in CO Awareness Month
November 1 - December 3, all donations up to a total of $5,000 will be matched by our matching sponsors. December 3 is GivingTuesday, making this the perfect season to be charitable!
NCOAA has developed a toolkit packed with social media posts (copy and images) and emails that you can use to share carbon monoxide safety information to your network.
If your company is interested in carbon monoxide safety, we would love to partner with you. We have a new partner program launching in 2025. Plus, we have sponsorship opportunities available.
Donate To Save A Life
Thank you for considering a donation to NCOAA. We know there are many charities out there, so we are glad you're here. November 1 - December 3, all donations up to a total of $5,000 will be matched. December 3 is GivingTuesday; we appreciate you this season of giving.
Learn more about our 2024 accomplishments as well as our goals for 2025.
Thank you for joining the fight for carbon monoxide safety! Your generous donation helps give a voice to this "silent killer."
Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) is responsible for over 100,000 emergency room visits and hundreds of deaths annually in the United States.
These can be prevented.
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Our mission at NCOAA is to drive a comprehensive conversation on the public health crisis of chronic and acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Your donation helps us spread carbon monoxide safety awareness which keeps our families and communities safe.
2024 Accomplishments
2nd Annual CO Safety Summit
NCOAA held its 2nd Annual CO Safety Summit from July 29 - 31 in Kansas City, MO. The Summit was held in conjunction with the annual Fire Prevention and Safety symposium of the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). At the CO Safety Summit, a wide range of topics surrounding Carbon Monoxide were covered by leaders in many parts of the industry.
Over the three days of the summit, scientific research, the role of responders, personal stories, current safety measures, and data reports were discussed. We also heard updates from each of the CO Safety Coalition work groups, which launched at the CO Safety Summit in 2023.
CO Safety Coalition
The Carbon Monoxide Safety Coalition made some great strides in its first full year. Comprised of 4 Work Groups, the Coalition is a collaboration of leaders who work together, focused on improving carbon monoxide safety.
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This year, the CO Safety Coalition had many accomplishments including:
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Contributing to 9 new building codes for carbon monoxide detection requirements, which were passed in the first round of model code updates.
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Published a national fire fighter carbon monoxide training, which got over 15,000 visitors in the first 24 hours.
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Aided organizations in applying to receive funds from a $2M CPSC grant for carbon monoxide alarms and education.
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2025 Goals
Next Year: Survivor Support
​NCOAA is committed to empowering survivors and their families, and to working towards a future where carbon monoxide poisoning is a thing of the past. We are currently sending out recovery kits to help support Carbon Monoxide Poisoning survivors through their recovery.
In 2025, we will take Survivor Support to the next level. Introducing the Survivor Network, the place where survivors and families of victims can connect to share challenges, advise on safety tips, and be each other’s biggest supporters.
Next Year: 3nd Annual CO Safety Summit
The 2nd Annual CO Safety Summit will take place in Biloxi, Mississippi from August 11 - 13, 2025. We will take this time to hear from experts and leaders to continue to make a difference in Carbon Monoxide Poisoning prevention. We will also hear from the Work Groups to learn about the work they started and what they plan on doing in the year ahead.
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month Toolkit
We invite you to use the below toolkit to help spread the word about Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month & GivingTuesday. The toolkit has social media posts (text and images) for every day in November through GivingTuesday on December 3. When you share on social media, please use the hashtag #COAwarenessMonth. The toolkit also has emails that you can use to send to your family, friends, colleagues, customers, and anyone else that you want to stay CO Safe!
Thank you for joining the fight for carbon monoxide safety.
Thank You To Our Matching Sponsors
DD-Scientific are an industry leading manufacturer of electrochemical Carbon Monoxide Sensors which are used worldwide in a broad range of domestic, industrial and medical applications.
Leaders in thermoplastic piping systems, IPEX designs and manufactures the largest, most diverse range of integrated piping products – Everything professionals need to manage the full spectrum of municipal, industrial, commercial and residential challenges.