11 apartment residents were rushed to the hospital this morning after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Officials say that a faulty furnace in an apartment building may have caused the Nantucket injury accident. The 11 victims “close to death.” Four police officers and one firefighter also went to the hospital because they were exposed to CO.
Police arrived at the Macy Lane residence after a receiving a call from someone reporting that several people in the building were sick. Six of the sick residents were found in the upper-floor apartments, while five residents were discovered “incapacitated” in the apartment located in the basement where the carbon monoxide levels were the highest.
State law requires that there be a carbon monoxide alarm on each floor. According to Massachusetts Fire Marshall Stephen Coan, there were detectors in the building but their batteries weren’t working.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Because carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that people cannot see, smell, or taste, it is so important that there be working CO detectors on a premise. Considered the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that CO poisoning results in over 15,000 ER visits and about 500 people a year. Severe CO poisoning can cause brain injury, heart problems, coma, and death.
Property owners must make sure there are no appliance or hazards on a premise that could lead to CO poisoning. They also must make sure that there are working carbon monoxide detectors in the building. Also, the manufacturers of products that produce CO must make sure that there are no defects or malfunctions that could cause too much carbon monoxide to be emitted into the air.
Nantucket cops: carbon monoxide poisoning puts 11 in hospital, Boston Herald, April 16, 2011
Carbon monoxide sends 12 to hospital, Boston, April 17, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Carbon monoxide poisoning, Mayo Clinic
Carbon monoxide, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Our Boston injury lawyers represent clients with Massachusetts products liability and premises liability claims involving CO poisoning. Contact Altman & Altman LLP today.