FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David or Jeanne Buddingh
Buddingh & Associates, Inc.
(630) 961-4504
MTI Presents Expert Information on
Dangers of CO at Boating Industry Conference
(Volo, IL July 21, 2003) Jeff Wisniewski, operations manager of Marine Technologies Inc., recently spoke about the dangers of carbon monoxide in recreational boating at a boating industry conference.The Annapolis, MD, meeting was prompted by recent deaths caused by CO poisoning on houseboats and other recreational boats.
A leader in life safety products for the marine and RV industry, MTI produces Safe-T-Alert CO alarms.Wisniewski spoke to representatives of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and marine industry leaders.
It is good to see these key safety organizations get together to discuss this increasing threat in recreational boating.And we were pleased to be asked to offer our expertise in the area, said Wisniewski.CO is literally a silent killer. So many boaters don’t understand that their boats engines or generators are producing CO or how harmful it is until it’s too late.
CO is a colorless, odorless gas that is undetectable without a working CO alarm.Early symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, running nose, sore eyes, often referred to as flu-like symptoms followed by dizziness, drowsiness and vomiting often mistaken as sea sickness, heat exhaustion or intoxication.Prolonged exposure to lower levels or exposure to high levels of CO will lead to unconsciousness, brain damage and death.A 1995 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that CO is a serious hazard associated with recreational boating and further recommended that CO alarms be installed aboard boats.
During his presentation, Wisniewski reviewed background information about where and how CO is produced and accumulated, and detailed changes in UL standards in CO alarms over the past several years.In addition, he served on a panel of industry experts, which included CO researchers, boat manufacturers and government agencies, to answer questions of boating industry leaders regarding CO safety in recreational boating.
As leaders in the industry, it is our responsibility to step up and inform the boating public about the serious CO threat, said Wisniewski. Having all of these agencies, organizations and corporations together in one room discussing this problem is a huge step toward a solution, and we look forward to participation in future such events.
Marine Technologies, Inc. has been serving the boating industry since 1979, providing safety products to original equipment manufacturers and marine retailers across the United States.For further information, contact:
Marine Technologies, Inc.
31632 Ellis Drive
Building 301
Volo, IL60073
info@dev.mtiindustries.com
www.safe-t-alert.com
(800) 383-0269