To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, Taichung residents can call the city’s Fire Bureau to check if their gas water heaters are properly installed.
Residents who have doubts about the safety of their water heaters can call 119 to contact the bureau and have their heaters inspected, the bureau said.
The Taichung City Government said that more than 10 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning have been reported in the city since the beginning of the year, with most of them caused by improper installation or use of gas water heaters.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, vomiting, nausea, chest pains, and feeling tired and listless, the bureau said, adding that residents should be on the alert if those symptoms affect several people at the same time in the same living space.
People who suspect they are suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning should turn off gas heaters at once, and open doors and windows to increase ventilation, it said.
However, if the situation is more severe, they should get outdoors immediately and 119 for help, the bureau said.
Gas water heaters should be installed in a well-ventilated outdoor area, such as an open balcony, it said.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a major residential environmental hazard in Taiwan, especially during winter, when people tend to close their windows to keep out the cold.
From 2009 to 2013, 55 people died of carbon monoxide poisoning and 471 were injured, official statistics show.
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