SOP Manual - Cleveland Fire Department

Cleveland Fire Department
Operations Manual
E. Understanding the Affects of Carbon Monoxide on Human Beings:
35 ppm The maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure in any eight (8) hour
period according to OSHA.
100 ppm In an average healthy person the blood level will not reach a level higher than 10%
Carboxyhemoglobin within ninety (90) minutes, which means it will have little or no
affect on the average healthy person.
200 ppm Slight headache, tiredness, dizziness, nausea after two (2) to three (3) hours exposure.
Maximum carbon monoxide concentration for exposure at any time as prescribed by
OSHA.
400 ppm Frontal headaches within one (1) to two (2) hours of exposure. Life threatening after
three (3) hours. (Minimum ppm in flue gas according to EPA and AGA/GAMA).
800 ppm Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within forty-five (45) minutes. Unconsciousness
within two (2) hours. Death within three (3) hours.
1600 ppm Headache, nausea, dizziness within twenty (20) minutes. Death within one (1) hour.
3200 ppm Headache, nausea, dizziness within five (5) to ten (10) minutes. Death within thirty (30)
minutes.
6400 ppm Headache, nausea, dizziness within one (1) to two (2) minutes. Death within ten (10) to
fifteen (15) minutes.
12,800 ppm Death within one (1) to three (3) minutes.
NOTE: PPM represents Parts Per Million in the atmosphere.
1% of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere equals approximately 10,000 PPM.
Effective: June 1, 1997 Revised: 5/14/2009 Page | 115
Approved by: Chief Chuck Atchley