Best Way - What to do if a Co2 Alarm Sounds?

CO2 alarms are like smoke detectors, only instead of detecting smoke, a CO2 alarm detects carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas that has no color and no odor. CO2 gas, which first enters the lungs then moves into the bloodstream, is measured by Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). At different levels, COHb leads to headaches, nausea, dizziness and eventually death.

Have a Plan

1. Since CO2 is colorless and odorless, if a CO2 alarm triggers at your business, your employees may not think there is a true emergency. You must educate them about CO2 -- what it is and its potential dangers -- and have an appropriate plan of action. Offer training to discuss the topic; this can take the form of a simple pamphlet handout or a 15-minute session with their manager. Create a similar plan and educate your family, to keep them safe in your home.

Evacuate the Grounds

2. A CO2 alarm going off should be treated the same way you would treat a fire alarm -- get out of the building as quickly as possible without injury. Once outside, however, your employees and family members need to know that exiting the building may not be enough.
   
   CO2 is most dangerous in closed spaces, but without an indication of what the source is (it could be anywhere under or around your building), simply standing outside may not eliminate the danger.

Plan a Meeting Place

3. Like any good fire evacuation plan, your CO2 evacuation plan must include a meeting place -- a safe location as far away from the building as possible, where you can take a head count and check for injury. Your employees can help by watching out for each other as they leave the building, to make sure no one is overcome by the gas.

Check for Signs of CO2 Poisoning

4. The signs of CO2 poisoning are often flu-like and usually start with a headache. Once all employees or family members are accounted for outside, anyone experiencing headache and nausea should get medical attention immediately. The best cure for CO2 poisoning is fresh oxygen, which will bind to the red blood cells in the body instead of the CO2. The medics responding to the alarm have fresh oxygen on board their vehicles; a couple of minutes of treatment is usually sufficient.
   
   Train your employees: if a headache or dizziness develops while exiting, seek first aid treatment, even if the symptoms seem to disappear once they are outside.