By Melissa PatrickKentucky Health News Kentucky has launched a new statewide initiative focused on carbon monoxide (CO) safety, including proactive inspections of aging buildings. These inspections will begin with schools, followed by daycares and senior living facilities. “Everyone deserves a h ealthy environment to live, learn and work in,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release. “When a student walks into a school, they should be focused on learning, not the safety of their classroom. With aging infrastructure at many of our schools, we are taking proactive steps to keep students and teachers safe from the invisible threat of carbon monoxide.” The initiative partners the state with local building personnel and the Kentucky Department of Education to visit schools throughout the state to conduct a visual inspection of heating and ventilation systems. The inspections will check furnace rooms, HVAC systems, kitchen equipment and emergency monitoring devices to ensure systems and ventilation meet current safety standards. “In the winter months, increased usage of heating systems elevates carbon monoxide risk if systems are malfunctioning or not properly ventilated,” Public Protection Cabinet Secretary Ray Perry said in the release. “These safety checks will help ensure systems are well-maintained and create more awareness of carbon monoxide dangers.”  Additionally, all Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction inspectors will carry carbon monoxide detection devices, and all inspections conducted by HBC officials will include a visual check of mechanical rooms and a CO reading.  Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas produced when gasoline, natural gas, propane, kerosene and other fuels are not completely burned during use. Breathing in carbon monoxide fumes prevents the body from using oxygen normally and can result in death. Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for hundreds of preventable injuries and fatalities each year nationwide. Symptoms of exposure can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion and fainting. If you experience these symptoms, get to fresh air immediately. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can result in death.  Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips Public Protection Cabinet officials encourage everyone to follow basic safety precautions year-round and to use the peak heating season as a reminder to check your fuel-burning systems.  Install carbon monoxide detectors on each level of a building and near sleeping areas.  Replace detector batteries twice a year; replace entire devices every five to seven years.  Have HVAC systems, chimneys and vents inspected annually by qualified technicians.  Never block ventilation openings or air returns.  Do not use ovens, stovetops or grills to heat indoor spaces.  Keep fuel-burning equipment (generators, space heaters) outdoors and at least 20 feet from buildings.  Don’t run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open. Know the symptoms of CO poisoning — headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness — and evacuate immediately if suspected.  “The Building Code requires CO detectors in residential construction built after 2011,” Housing, Buildings and Construction Commissioner Max Fuller said in the release. “But you should have CO detectors installed, no matter the age of your home or business.”  For more information, visit the Housing, Buildings and Construction website at DHBC.ky.gov.  The post New statewide carbon monoxide safety inspection initiative launched, along with safety tips appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less