Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning in kitchens

Nitish Sharma 

The Best Learning Society, an NGO based in Ambala Cantonment, has launched an initiative to make people, especially women, aware of the presence of carbon monoxide in houses and the ill-effects of its poisoning. 

The organisation has been working in Ambala for nearly three decades. It launched a door-to-door campaign in the first week of June. The volunteers of the society visit houses with equipment to check the level of carbon monoxide in kitchens. 

Ashok Jain, chairman of the NGO, says, “Carbon monoxide gas can cause poisoning. It is colourless and orderless and is initially non-irritating. It is produced during incomplete combustion of organic matter. The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a safer fuel but if an appliance is not correctly installed and maintained or has been modified, the output of combustion might change, and become hazardous to people around the appliance, as propane can generate carbon monoxide”.

“A high concentration of carbon monoxide may be found in kitchens where the cooking gas is used improperly and without proper ventilation. Its ill-effects commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion, while large exposures can result in the loss of consciousness, arrhythmia, seizure, or even death. It is essential that gas appliances are correctly installed and serviced to maintain good combustion and safe, efficient operation,” he adds.

Jain, a former member of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, says that the volunteers ask women to notice the colour of the flame to know if combustion is complete or not. With complete combustion, the burner produces a blue flame, while a yellow flame is one of the signs of incomplete combustion. 

The NGO is also motivating women to spread awareness among the maximum number of people about the hazards of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Rajesh Sharma, secretary of the society, says, “If a kitchen is poorly ventilated, the carbon monoxide level tends to rise very fast, exceeding the acceptable limits. You can easily notice this by checking the flame’s colour. Not only kitchens but also other places where fuel or other carbon-based materials are burned must have proper ventilation”. 

Forensic science expert GR Jain says, “There have been incidents where people have died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. One such incident happened in Ambala a few years ago when three labourers were found dead in the room of a factory. During investigation, it was found that they had left a coal-based heater in the room, without any ventilation, during the night before sleeping and the cause of their death was carbon monoxide poisoning”. 

Ashok Jain says, “Two teams have been deployed in Ambala Cantonment with equipment to measure the level of carbon monoxide. After covering the cantonment area, we will cover the remaining areas of the district. We are making people aware about the ill-effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if we manage to save even one life, we will consider it as the success of the exercise”.

Health hazards 

A high concentration of carbon monoxide may be found in kitchens where the cooking gas is used improperly and without proper ventilation. Its ill-effects commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion, while large exposures can result in the loss of consciousness, arrhythmia, seizure, or even death. It is essential that gas appliances are correctly installed and serviced to maintain good combustion. —Ashok Jain, Chairman of Best Learning Society