By the end of October this year, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning has claimed 4 lives out of 16 cases and caused serious injury to 48 people. The Ministry of the Interior specifically reminds that to ensure their safety, people should remember to maintain ventilation when using gas heaters or gas stoves and check whether they are installed correctly.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of the Interior from 2013 to 2018, nearly 80% of the carbon monoxide poisoning incidents of gas heaters were due to outdoor water heaters installed at badly ventilated places such as covered balconies or indoors. Besides, indoor water heaters were not installed with exhaust pipes resulting in exhaust gas from combusting that cannot be discharged.
The Ministry of the Interior points out that it accounts for 31.25% of all cases of carbon monoxide poisoning this year occurred in rented houses and reminds landlords if the water heaters are installed properly. If an accident occurs, landlords would be liable for negligent injuring or negligent homicide. Recently, there have been actual cases of courts’ decision that tenants should pay more attention to the environment of water heaters’ installation to maintain their safety when renting a house.
The Ministry of the Interior emphasizes that when using gas heaters and gas stoves, it is important to remember to open windows and maintain ventilation. Incomplete combustion will occur if a place is inadequately ventilated, and incomplete combustion will lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if its exhaust gas cannot be smoothly discharged. The public should also check whether the water heater is installed correctly as soon as possible. If in doubt, qualified contractors should be entrusted to assist in investigating and improving to ensure your safety.
The Ministry of the Interior reminds that carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so people should be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning if they feel dizzy, vomiting, unconscious, or weak when using water heaters or gas stoves, stop using them, move to a well-ventilated place, and call 119 if people are still seriously uncomfortable.
