ARCHIVED - Carbon Monoxide - Simple Steps for Reducing Your Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

Transcript - Carbon Monoxide - Simple Steps for Reducing Your Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

(Animation begins with Hazardcheck symbol.)

Voiceover: "Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas that can be dangerous if inhaled."
(Hazardcheck symbol fills with ominous vapours. The vapours grow and fill the screen. Vapours remain on-screen; "CO" appears.)

Voiceover: "Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of burning fossil fuels like gas, oil and coal used for heating, as well as charcoal and wood."
(Vapours dissolve to reveal a house. Zoom in on the house. It becomes green and fills the background. Graphic of gas stove element appears. Stove element moves to upper left corner as frame divides into four visuals -- the gas stove element, oil tank, water tank and a flame.)

Voiceover: "If your gas or oil furnace or water heater is not properly installed and serviced, malfunctions can cause carbon monoxide to leak into your home."
(Zoom in on yellow flame. Pull back from flame to reveal a pilot light. Pull back even more to see the pilot light as a cut-away inside a furnace. Pull back again to see CO fumes escaping from furnace.)

Voiceover: "Breathing CO reduces your body's ability to carry oxygen in your blood, causing:

• Headaches and dizziness
• Nausea
• Even death"

(Close-up on CO fumes as a family appears. The vapours animate and envelop them. The family's expressions animate to reflect symptoms.)

Voiceover: "There are ways to protect yourself, and your family, from carbon monoxide poisoning in your home."
(The vapours clear to show the family with happy faces.)

Voiceover: "Have your furnace and water heater inspected and maintained annually."
(Transition to a furnace repairman checking and fixing the furnace.)

Voiceover: "Never operate an outdoor charcoal, propane or natural gas grill inside your home even in the garage."
(Transition to close-up of a charcoal barbeque. Pan back to reveal that the BBQ is indoors. The iconic "no" symbol appears over the barbeque, exe-ing it out.)

Voiceover: "And most important, install carbon monoxide detectors outside of all main sleeping areas in your home.
(Transition to carbon monoxide detector which has been properly installed.)

Voiceover: "If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds:

• Calmly evacuate your home, ensuring everyone is feeling okay.
• If anyone shows symptoms of poisoning, contact your health provider.
• Call local authorities to have the problem checked and fixed."

(Transition to a CO detector, which vibrates and beeps. Pan back to reveal family outside their home. Transition to man making a phone call.)

Voiceover: "For more information about carbon monoxide and other environmental health hazards in the home visit HealthyCanadians.gc.ca/Hazardcheck or call."
(The Hazardcheck wordmark appears on screen with the following text:

Hazardcheck
HealthyCanadians.gc.ca/Hazardcheck
1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232)
TTY 1-800-926-9105)

Voiceover: "A message from the Government of Canada."