CPSC Says 183 Carbon Monoxide Deaths Associated with Consumer Products in 2007
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a report on the unintentional non-fire deaths attributed to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning that were associated with the use of consumer products in 2007 and companion statistics since 1999.
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Average of 184 Annual Deaths from 2005-2007
For 2007, there were an estimated 183 unintentional non-fire CO poisoning deaths associated with consumer products under the CPSC’s jurisdiction. From 2005 through 2007, the estimated annual average of such deaths was 184 fatalities.
Heating System, Engine-Driven Tool Categories Had Most Deaths
For 2007, heating systems were associated with the largest percentage of the subject CO poisoning fatalities at 38% (an estimated 70 deaths). Engine-driven tools-related CO fatalities were also associated with 38% (but had 69 deaths).
The following six product categories were associated with remainder of the non-fire CO poisoning fatalities in 2007:
- Charcoal Grills or Charcoal (7 deaths);
- Ranges and Ovens (7 deaths);
- Water Heaters (3 deaths);
- Grills, Camp Stoves (3 deaths);
- Other Products (1 death); and
- Multiple Products (24 deaths).
Gas Heaters and Generators Were Products Most Associated with CO Deaths
Within the heating system category, which had the greatest number of deaths, 87% of the CO-related fatalities involved gas heating.
Within the second largest category of engine-driven tools, 93% of the CO-related deaths involved generators. Additionally, generator usage was associated with seven of the estimated 24 multiple appliance CO poisoning fatalities, for a total of 71 deaths in which a generator was involved. CPSC points out that the 2007 estimate of 71 generator-related CO deaths is more than double the yearly averages from 1999 through 2004.
CPSC Uses Info to Identify Problems, Consider if Improvements Warranted
CPSC staff produces the statistics on consumer product CO-related deaths to identify product groups involved in fatal CO scenarios and to monitor this distribution over time. Within individual, product-specific CPSC projects, further analysis is done to consider whether improvements are warranted in the areas of product design, ventilation safeguards, or user information and education.
(Report, Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Deaths Associated with the Use of Consumer Products 2007 Annual Estimates, dated January 2011)