Carbon Monoxide death at Indy 500 RV lot

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · May 28, 2008, 05:26:53 PM

Hi Guy's,

Anybody read this one?

http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=ap-irl-indy500-death&prov=ap&type=lgns

Nick-

steve5B · May 28, 2008, 07:45:43 PM

I have been to alot of races over the years and it seems that it happens all the time. A couple of years back at Talladegea (spring race) they found 3 people in a tent with a heater running. So sad, seems like you would have more common sense.

Steve 5B.......

boogiethecat · May 28, 2008, 11:14:11 PM

Sounds like they never had a chance! Good idea to include a CO detector NEAR YOUR HEAD when you sleep, regardless if you have stuff onboard that makes CO or not!!

My CO detector is about 15 inches away from my pillow, at the same height as my head. It goes off once or twice a year when the gene is on... my (propane powered) gene exhaust vents out of the roof far away from windows, vents and the bed and there are no leaks, but even so, wind currents sometimes backwash the exhaust back inside, and even though we never smell it, the CO detector certainly does. It's just a good thing to have around!

Dreamscape · May 29, 2008, 03:18:10 AM

When I was at a NASCAR race in NC a few years back, a couple of guys didn't make it. They were trying to stay warm in a tent, didn't wake up. Don't remember what they were using, so sad.

JackConrad · May 29, 2008, 03:33:43 AM

When I was still working (Paramedic/Firefighter), I ran on several CO calls. 2 were in RVs. In both cases the CO did not come from their coach but a neighboring coach running a generator. At one of our Bussin' rallies, we had to move a coach because his generator exhaust was even with the door on the coach next to him. Everytime the door of the adjoining coach was opened, his CO detector went off. At a bluegrass festival many years ago, one of the bands almost succumbed to CO. They were running a heater in their bus. If it had not been for a band member getting up to go to the bathroom and falling against the wall and landing on top of another band member, they probably would have all died. As it was, they all spent a day or 2 in the hospital.
I cannot overemphasize EVERY COACH NEEDS A CO DETECTOR. It should be mounter near the ceiling as CO is lighter than air. LP detectors should be installed near the floor since LP is heavier than air. Jack

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · May 29, 2008, 04:57:51 AM

Hi Jack,

Thanks for the reminder. For a moment, I thought I installed it in the wrong place...

I have my co detector mounted mid way in the bus, 1 inch from the ceiling.

Nick-

FloridaCliff · May 29, 2008, 05:05:53 AM

Quote from: JackConrad on May 29, 2008, 03:33:43 AM
I cannot overemphasize EVERY COACH NNEDS A CO DETECTOR. It should be mounter near the ceiling as CO is lighter than air. LP detectors should be installed near the floor since LP is heavier than air. Jack

And to add to Jacks good advice, I would also put a 2nd one in the bedroom if you close that area off by a door at night or anytime. I know a lot of folks just run the rear a/c or heat and close this area off at night.

The presence of CO should be a major concern when in a group boondocking event.

Cliff

Highway Yacht · May 29, 2008, 05:10:48 AM

Quote from: Dreamscape on May 29, 2008, 03:18:10 AM
When I was at a NASCAR race in NC a few years back, a couple of guys didn't make it. They were trying to stay warm in a tent, didn't wake up. Don't remember what they were using, so sad.

If it is the same accident I am thinking of, it was a Fall race in Charlotte NC a few years ago. As I remember it, it was a couple of people trying to stay warm in a tent using a charcol grill.

boogiethecat · May 29, 2008, 08:51:38 AM

Why is CO so deadly? 2 reasons.
One, it binds to the blood cells and "occupies" the place that oxygen would normally attach to. Unfortunately for us mammals, the affinity between CO and hemoglobin is 200 times stronger than the affinity between hemoglobin and oxygen.

Even worse, the stuff then has something like a 12 hour half-life in blood. When CO binds to the hemoglobin it cannot be released for a long time, so oxygen uptake is severely compromised for hours, even with a tiny amount of CO present- because of this all it takes is one lung-full of the stuff and enough blood is disabled that there is no way to recover a person from it short of completely replacing his entire blood supply within minutes of the exposure, which of course will never happen.

Case in point, a couple of years ago a good friend of mine's dad walked into his garage (attached to the house) with a generator running inside (stupid in the first place) and the big garage door half opened. He took one breath as he opened the door and died on the spot. Being that the door was now open, the cloud of CO drifted into the house and did his wife and three dogs in as well. Nobody even had a clue anything was wrong.

BE CAREFUL about this, it's not a laughing matter. I agree with Jack: I cannot overemphasize EVERY COACH NEEDS A CO DETECTOR. OR MORE THAN ONE !!!!

Don4107 · May 29, 2008, 11:23:01 AM

In the late 60s I went on a date in my parents 59 Chevy wagon, my 57 was broke down. On the way in to pick her up, about 25 miles, I had the windows open a bit to keep cool. Picked her up and went rollerskating. Had a unexplained headache and ended the date early.

Went home with the windows closed as it had cooled down. Had real trouble driving the last few miles, thought I was just tired. Steering wheel seamed incredibly hard to turn. When I got home and stopped, I could not lift the door handle to get out with my left hand. Used both hands and leaned against the door to push it open.

When the fresh air hit me as I rolled out of the car, it felt like someone threw a bucket of cold water in my face. Instantly realized what had happened and just as quickly started vomiting. Was horribly sick for days and unable to be around exhaust for years without becoming nauseous.

There were a couple small holes in the exhaust where the tube bent over the axle. Does not take much.

You have no clue what is happening to you. It is truly a silent killer, and I was awake! I was lucky. Another few minutes and I may have never opened that door.

Don 4107

Tony LEE · May 29, 2008, 11:45:03 AM

"I have my co detector mounted mid way in the bus, 1 inch from the ceiling."

This is probably OK in a bus where the ceiling/wall junction is rounded, but where the junction is at right angles, the triangular section down and across about 6" is a dead area as far as convection currents go so the recommendation is about 8" down the wall or on the ceiling at least a foot from a wall.

JohnEd · June 02, 2008, 11:07:38 PM

In College Psyc 101 there was a section on Phsyological Psyc. One of the lectures had a story about a women that murdered all of her children due to "low level" CO poisoning. Seems the stuff makes you RAGE and also makes you paranoid....really viscious headaches as well. Turned out to be a birds nest in the water heater vent. Info item from that class was that any time you have a flame that contacts a metal you will generate CO. Ever ponder why New Yorkers are so pissy? Low level CO!!!

I have the CO and propane detectors! For sure.

John