CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE WORKPLACE
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365-BSA-01-IMOT © 2024, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
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Perform rescue breathing, if breathing has stopped and if trained to do so.
Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the heart has stopped and if trained to do so.
Keep the victim warm.
Keep the victim lying down and inactive.
If exposure is severe, oxygen should be administered by a person trained in its use. Administration of
oxygen may be considered a medical act in some jurisdictions.
Begin treatment as soon as possible because damage to the nervous system occurs rapidly. Medical
treatment is recommended in all cases in which carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected. A period of
rest may also be recommended.
Exposure Standards
Standards for allowable exposure to carbon monoxide are designed to prevent adverse effects in nearly all
workers in Ontario. The legal standard established by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training
and Skills Development (MLITSD) for an 8 hour work day and 40 hour work week is 25 parts per million
(ppm). See the current occupational exposure limits for Ontario workplaces under Regulation 833 at: https://
www.ontario.ca/page/current-occupational-exposure-limits-ontario-workplaces-under-regulation-833
Recognize, Assess, Control and Evaluate (RACE)
The employer is responsible to ensure all reasonable precautions are taken to protect the worker. To do
this, always follow the RACE model.
RECOGNIZE: Is carbon monoxide present in your workplace?
Carbon monoxide is both used as a raw material and produced by certain industrial processes. It can
be produced as a waste product by many types of equipment and activities at the same time. Carbon
monoxide is present in almost every workplace. The challenge is to recognize, evaluate and control
sources of emission. The following are the major industrial uses of carbon monoxide:
fuel gas mixtures
– water gas (44% carbon monoxide)
– blast furnace gas (30% carbon monoxide)
– producer gas (34% carbon monoxide)
– oal gas or illuminating gas (7.4% carbon monoxide)
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