OSHA Investigation Highlights Importance of Carbon Monoxide Protections

A hotel worker who was fired for reporting carbon monoxide exposure will be reinstated and paid back wages, along with interest and compensatory and punitive damages, as the result of an investigation from the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The investigation found that when the worker reported that exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) made them ill and asked the employer to call an ambulance, the employer refused. After going to the hospital on their own, the worker was terminated.

The investigation ruling was part of OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program, which protects employees from retaliation for reporting violations of workplace safety and health. This program is important to keep in mind as CO poisoning are a threat when power outages occur during emergencies such as the severe storms last week in the Southeast. The use of alternative sources of power, such as generators, can cause CO, an odorless and colorless gas, to build up in a facility and poison the people inside.

Follow these tips from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent CO poisoning:

• Have your heating system, water heater, and any other gas-, oil-, or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician at least once every year.
• Install a battery-operated or battery back-up CO detector in your facility and check or replace the battery at least twice a year, such as when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.
• Evacuate the building immediately and call 911 if the CO detector ever sounds. Seek prompt medical attention for building residents who are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseated.