Warning issued after two workers suffer carbon monoxide poisoning

NT WorkSafe has issued a warning after two workers were poisoned by incorrect forklift use. Read how it happened.

NT WorkSafe warned fuel-powered forklifts should not be used in an enclosed space after two workers suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. Picture: Supplied.

Two workers have been poisoned with carbon monoxide from working in an enclosed room with a fuel-powered forklift.

NT WorkSafe on Friday issued a warning about using machinery powered by petrol, gas or diesel in poorly ventilated spaces after one of the workers required medical assistance.

The pair was working in a cool room for a few hours where the forklift had been operating when they fell ill.

Carbon monoxide is odourless, tasteless and invisible and works to block the body’s ability to absorb oxygen if inhaled.

Exposure to the poisonous gas can cause headaches, fatigue, nausea, confusion and dizziness.

NT WorkSafe’s alert included use of all fuel-powered equipment including generators, blowers and pressure cleaners.

Work health and safety laws require employers to limit a worker’s exposure to carbon monoxide, which is produced as a by-product when fuel does not burn completely.

The workplace exposure standard for carbon monoxide is 30 ppm averaged over eight hours.

A small five-horsepower engine running in a 929sq m room can reach a life threatening concentration of 1200 ppm in just seven minutes, US Centres for Disease Control studies found.

University of Iowa research showed a car running in an open garage caused the air quality to reach a 500 ppm concentration of carbon monoxide in two minutes, with elevated levels still detected 10 hours later.

WorkSafe recommended employers use manual equipment or electric-powered forklifts in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.

If alternatives were not possible, the safety watchdog advised risk assessments be carried out, carbon monoxide alarms installed, portable ventilation equipment employed, and the forklift’s exhaust system regularly inspected for leaks.