Health Department Offering Free Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Information to RV-Owning Race Fans
Created on Friday, 18 May 2012 13:05
Contact: Collette DuValle, 317-373-2391
The Marion County Public Health Department, in cooperation with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will be making information on carbon monoxide poisoning available to recreational vehicle owners coming to the May 27 Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 500.
The printed information will be handed out as an educational outreach effort after a recreational vehicle parked near the race track in May of 2008 filled with carbon monoxide, killing one person and hospitalizing three others.
The health department creates the informational fliers and provides the documents to racetrack officials for posting in areas they operate that host recreational vehicles. Smaller RV lot owners can contact the health department to get copies of the flier.
“Carbon monoxide gas is invisible, odorless and deadly. It is produced by the partial combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. This includes gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil, wood and coal,” said Virginia A. Caine, M.D., director, Marion County Public Health Department. “It is extremely serious when combustion by-products are not vented outside,” said Dr. Caine.
Hundreds of people die each year from carbon monoxide produced by fuel burning appliances and thousands go to emergency rooms for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning.
