Workplace gas incident in Kitzbühel leaves two employees in critical care facility
In the heart of Tyrol, a sudden spike in carbon monoxide (CO) levels in an underground garage in Kitzbühel has led to a dramatic incident on Tuesday. The fire department reported extreme levels of CO, reaching 1,300 parts per million (ppm), which is significantly higher than the permissible maximum of 30 ppm.
The high CO levels necessitated a search operation in both the parking and living areas due to initial uncertainty about the presence of people. The search operation was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of potential occupants in the affected areas.
Upon arrival, the carbon monoxide sensor on a paramedic's backpack activated, playing a crucial role in identifying the dangerous levels of CO. This incident serves as a reminder of the need for special measuring devices to detect CO, as it cannot be detected without such devices.
Sadly, two workers and a resident were hospitalized due to CO exposure. The workers were taken to a specialized clinic due to inhalation of dangerous amounts of CO during cleaning work in the underground garage. A resident of the house was also taken to the hospital due to CO exposure.
Exposure to high levels of CO, such as those experienced in this incident, can cause acute symptoms including headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, weakness, and loss of consciousness. At this concentration, CO binds to hemoglobin with much higher affinity than oxygen, leading to tissue hypoxia, which can cause severe poisoning and potentially death if exposure is prolonged.
Long-term effects after acute CO poisoning may include neurological sequelae such as cognitive deficits, memory impairment, difficulty concentrating, personality changes, and movement disorders. These occur because hypoxia damages brain tissue, notably in regions sensitive to oxygen deprivation like the basal ganglia.
The fire department's quick response and the use of a CO sensor on a paramedic's backpack likely prevented a more severe outcome. However, this incident underscores the importance of being aware of the dangers of CO and the necessity of using special measuring devices to detect it.
[1] World Health Organization. (2021). Carbon Monoxide (CO) - Air Quality Guidelines. https://www.who.int/air-pollution/publications/atlas/ambient-air-quality-database/carbon-monoxide
[2] National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2021). Carbon Monoxide. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/co/default.html
- The sudden spike in carbon monoxide (CO) levels in a medical-condition such as acute CO poisoning can result in health-and-wellness issues like headache, dizziness, nausea, and loss of consciousness.
- In the realm of science and general news, the incident in Tyrol underscores the importance of early CO detection through medical-grade CO sensors, as initial uncertainty about the presence of people necessitated a search operation.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in health-and-wellness and safety topics, as well as the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guidelines on CO, highlight the dangers of CO and the necessity of using special measuring devices to detect it.
