Government Recognizes Dangers of CO on Houseboats:
Marine Technologies Inc. Part of the Solution
(Volo, IL January 18, 2001)Two prominent government agencies have studied and publicly recognized the serious danger associated with carbon monoxide (CO) on houseboats.
Prompted by the drowning deaths of two boys in a northern Arizona lake, the US Park Service and the Center for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studied the problem.They found that alarmingly high levels of CO gathering beneath the swimming deck of their houseboat caused the deaths of the two boys.
In addition, agency representatives’ suspect that previously unexplained drowning deaths that have occurred near other houseboats could now be explained by CO poisoning.That fact, coupled with the hundreds of reported illnesses and deaths caused by CO poisoning within houseboat cabins, makes CO, produced by motors and gasoline generators, one of the most dangerous factors associated with recreational boating.The US Coast Guard is currently reviewing the matter.
CO is a colorless, odorless gas that is undetectable without a working CO alarm.Early symptoms of CO poisoning include dizziness, nausea and fatigue and are often misread as flu, heat exhaustion or intoxication.Prolonged exposure to lower levels or any exposure to high levels of CO will lead to serious illness or death.A 1995 article in the Journal of American Medical Association stated that CO is a serious hazard associated with recreational boating and further recommended that CO alarms be installed aboard boats.
While boat redesign to alleviate or reduce CO accumulation is likely to take many years, the most immediate solutions are aggressive public awareness campaigns and installation of CO alarms on all houseboats, said Tom Wisniewski
of Marine Technologies, Inc.
.People need to be told, ‘Don’t sit in the rear of a boat or swim behind or underneath houseboats when the motor or generator is running.Always install and maintain a CO alarm inside enclosed cabin areas, and don’t disable those alarms.Ever.’ said Wisniewski
Wisniewski said MTI’s Safe-T-Alert CO alarms are the first and only marine CO alarm that meets the stringent new UL UL2034 Marine Standard which went into effective January 1, 2001.
NIOSH, CDC and the American Boating and Yachting Council (ABYC), all recommend manufacturers and boat owners install CO alarms. The CDC has recommended to federal, state and local agencies and boat manufacturers to improve public awareness of the hazards of CO on houseboats to ensure that boat occupants heed and install alarms.MTI is pleased to be part of the solution.Our Safe-T-Alert CO alarm is available right now and we encourage OEMs and boat owners to follow these agencies recommendations. Wisniewski said.
Marine Technologies, Inc. has served the boating industry since 1979, providing safety products to original equipment manufacturers and marine retailers across the United States.For further information on Marine Technologies, Inc. contact:
Marine Technologies, Inc.
31632 Ellis Drive
Building 301
Volo, IL 60073
E-mail Info@dev.mtiindustries.com
www.safe-t-alert.com
(800) 383-0269