14 DAY TRIAL // Several Microsoft employees working in a building in the company’s Redmond campus started feeling sick all of a sudden yesterday after they got poisoned with what was believed to be carbon monoxide.
Reports from the scene provided by K5 TV station revealed that firefighters and ambulances arrived on the Redmond campus, where 5 people were already suffering from strong headaches and stomach problems. Although the cause of the problem wasn’t identified at first, emergency services believed it was a carbon monoxide leak from local equipment.
Firefighters used their CO detectors to scan the buildings, and a leak was indeed detected due to faulty kitchen equipment.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but the building’s administrators are now checking all heating and ventilating units, as well as kitchen equipment in order to prevent similar cases in the future.
How dangerous CO can be
If you’re wondering how dangerous carbon monoxide can be, the answer is pretty simple: it can kill you.
The official website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operated by the US Department of Health & Human Services, warns that carbon monoxide poisoning can be often confused with a typical flu, pretty much because it has the same symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, and chest pain.
“Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning. Infants, the elderly, people with chronic heart disease, anemia, or breathing problems are more likely to get sick from CO. Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized,” CDC says.
Obviously, the best way to prevent CO poisoning is to get all ventilation units, kitchen appliances, electronics, and vehicles checked regularly and always, but always, make sure that your rooms are ventilated properly.