Kansas Boating Safety
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to Kansas Regulations Operation and Spearfishing Watercraft Regattas Documentation Power Electrocution
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Carbon monoxide poisoning is a deadly gas that is produced any time a carbon based fuel is burned. This includes gasoline, propane, charcoal, or oil. Sources on your boat could include the engine, generators, cooking equipment, space and water heaters. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. It enters the bloodstream through the lungs and displaces the oxygen. Exposure can cause irritated eyes, nausea, headache, and dizziness. The symptoms can be mistaken for seasickness or the flu. Boaters can be exposed to carbon monoxide in a variety of ways. Some of the more common include: repairing the boat's engine; exhaust from another boat while docked or anchored; blocking the exhaust outlets; a station wagon effect in cabins, cockpits, or other enclosed areas; slow or idle speeds that allow the gas to accumulate. How can you protect yourself? Be aware of the danger, the causes, and symptoms. Regularly maintain and inspect the boat's engine and exhaust system. Keep forward hatches open. Install a carbon monoxide detector in each area where your boat is vulnerable. Be aware of other boats near you who may be running a generator, idling for long periods, docked with their exhaust blocked. Their carbon monoxide can get into your boat too. |