You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. You’ve probably never thought about it. But make no mistake: it’s out there. And it could seriously harm you.

We’re talking about carbon monoxide (CO), an invisible, odourless, tasteless gas produced when wood, natural gas, tobacco, gasoline, propane, or anything organic burns incompletely. CO poisons us by blocking our body’s ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Essentially, CO takes the place of the oxygen we need to live.

In 2017, 2018, and 2021, we partnered with Fortis BC, the province’s largest natural gas utility, to talk about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. We had a local celebrity help us, too: in 2021, home DIY expert Jillian Harris posted about CO on her Instagram page, resulting in 12,000 engagements.

Unlike many other toxins and poisons, CO doesn’t irritate your body or cause pain—meaning there’s often no warning or danger signs of its presence. In fact, you could be sitting in the middle of a big cloud of it and not even know you’re being poisoned—until it’s too late. Unfortunately, preventable CO poisoning is relatively common.

Most of the time, preventable injuries happen because of risks we’re aware of, but choose to ignore.

That’s not always the case with CO poisoning. Many of us are simply unaware of the danger CO presents. It’s not that we’re ignoring the risk—we don’t know about the risk. This is despite the fact that many of us have used fireplaces and barbecues, driven a car, or used gas appliances all our lives. Early symptoms of CO poisoning often seem like the flu (headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, confusion). Health authorities believe cases of CO poisoning are actually underreported or misdiagnosed.

If you believe you’re being poisoned by CO, or if your detector goes off, move immediately to fresh air. Go outside if you can. If you can’t, move next to an open window or an open door. Don’t return to the area until you’re sure it’s safe—if you’re not sure, wait for the fire department or FortisBC to tell you everything is OK.

Here’s the good news: preventing CO poisoning is not overly difficult. In fact, there are two simple actions that can prevent the vast majority of poisoning incidents:

  • Schedule an annual appliance service: contact a licensed gas contractor to take a look at your gas appliances (cooktop, furnace, water heater, fireplace, etc.) and venting systems to confirm they’re in good working order.  Visit the Technical Safety BC’s website to find a licensed gas contractor near you. For more information on what should be included in your service, click here.
  • Install a CSA-certified CO detector: Look for a certification mark from a certification body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada or certification from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Put it in the hallway outside your bedrooms and on each level of your home. If your detector isn’t hardwired, check your batteries twice a year. And if it’s more than seven years old (check the end of life date), get a new one. Units with sealed lithium batteries require no battery replacement or maintenance.