Carbon Monoxide Levels Tested By NIOSH on Houseboats at Lake Mead
During August 2000 at Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border, two brothers drowned as a result of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by swimming near the stern of a privately owned houseboat while the onboard gasoline-powered generator was operating. The deaths triggered a national investigation of the problem by NIOSH. NIOSH tests of a new generator provide evidence carbon monxoide risk from exhaust is virtually eliminated.
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) March 26, 2005 -- Under the watchful eye of the United
States Coast Guard, industry representatives, regulators and researchers from
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) convened last
week at Forever Resorts Callville Bay Marina on Lake Mead. They assembled to
evaluate the performance of a new Westerbeke Corporation’s Safe-CO™ generators
to reduce deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas aboard houseboats.
Earlier
this year, Forever Resorts fitted two rental houseboats from their luxury fleet
with the Safe-CO™ generators to test their effectiveness. Westerbeke’s Safe-CO™
generators were used to generate electricity on the Forever Houseboats under
real-life conditions with one real goal – to prevent boat-related carbon
monoxide poisonings. While NIOSH’s final written report has not yet been
released, Forever Resorts finds the preliminary on-water measurements very
reassuring with regard to enhanced safety.
Dick Blackman, an engineer in
the Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety said, “The Coast Guard is very pleased
with the contributions industry organizations such as Forever Resorts and Fun
Country Houseboats have made toward the eventual elimination of carbon monoxide
poisoning as a risk in recreational boats. Forever Resorts commitment has been
instrumental since 2001 in providing assets to help the Coast Guard and NIOSH as
well as other government and standards organizations define the problem, and to
design and test control technologies.”
Scott Earnest, Acting Branch
Chief of NIOSH commented, "I have had the pleasure of working with Forever
Resorts on boat-related carbon monoxide issues over the past several years, and
it has been a real joy. Forever Resorts is an industry leader that has taken
proactive measures to protect boaters from CO hazards. Westerbeke's development
of a "Safe CO" generator is a significant technological development for the
boating industry, and they are to be commended."
Along with others in
the houseboating industry, Westerbeke identified the seriousness of the CO
danger several years ago and has spent 2 ½ years developing new technologies in
gasoline-fueled generators that could effectively reduce CO danger afloat. Tom
Sutherland of Westerbeke stated, “We are very pleased to have NIOSH perform
precise CO measurements and to verify not only the performance of our generators
but also to show that houseboating can now be made much safer. And I’d like to
extend special thanks to Forever Resorts for helping us make this testing
possible”.
This is not the first time CO levels on houseboats have been
tested. More than 570 boat-related CO poisonings from generator or propulsion
engine exhaust were identified from the mid-1980s to present, and CO
concentrations on boats of all kinds were measured by NIOSH.
In an
effort to evaluate controls designed to prevent CO poisonings and promote safety
aboard their rental fleet, Forever Resorts approached Westerbeke. Forever
Resorts had participated in numerous prior tests of proposed CO control methods
developed. And before the start of the 2003 boating season, Forever Resorts had
installed the most effective controls available on every houseboat in their
fleet.
“We are encouraged by the findings during the testing of the new
Safe-CO™ generator on our houseboats,” stated John Stenseth, general manager of
Fun Country Marine and builder of the Forever Houseboats. “Providing a safe
environment for the boating public aboard our boats is our primary
goal.”
Until Westerbeke created Safe-CO™, marine generator exhaust
contained very high concentrations of CO. Earlier NIOSH investigations showed
when a generator is in operation, CO concentrations under and near a boat’s rear
deck can be 25 times greater than 1200 ppm (parts per million), the level
considered to be immediately dangerous to life and health.
NIOSH intends
to test these houseboats with Safe-CO™ generators again, after a full season of
rental use, to verify that the generators maintain their low-emission
performance. Westerbeke technology indicates recreational boating can be made
safer. Both Westerbeke and Forever Resorts have taken the position the boating
public should insist on the lowest obtainable CO emissions limits.
Families like the Dixeys agree. After the death of their boys, Ken and
Bambi Dixie turned to each other and their community for strength to overcome
their grief. Bambi Dixey responded to news of the developments at Lake Mead
saying, “If the final results of the NIOSH testing are as good as the early
results look, this product will save lives. What great news for our CO Awareness
Committee to share with other boating families. The Double Angel Foundation is
sincerely devoted to this entire issue and we will fight to the end to help save
lives.”
About Forever Resorts
The Forever
Resorts family of companies has been based in Arizona since its inception in
1981 and owns and operates properties in national parks, recreation areas and
national forests, and choice destinations of North America, Hungary and South
Africa. The firm is a leading hospitality provider with significant experience
in lodging, marinas and related services, food service and retail operations and
is a respected industry leader in houseboat manufacturing and luxury houseboat
vacation rentals. “Soaring to be the Best” each Forever Resorts’ location is ISO
14001 certified and is committed to protecting human health and the environment,
and many properties have received other awards and third-party certification for
its environmental practices. For more information visit the company website at
www.ForeverResorts.com
About Westerbeke Safe-CO™
Westerbeke Corporation is over 70 years old
and is a leading manufacturer of gasoline and diesel-fueled marine engines and
generators. They are a major supplier to the houseboat industry, including the
largest manufacturers and rental facilities. Safe-CO™ generators, the result of
a multi-year development program, uses a combination of innovative engineering
(patents pending) and electronic fuel injection (EFI) to achieve
safety-enhancing and environmentally friendly ultra-low CO emissions. The
company offers a range of Safe-CO™ models from 5 kW of electrical power up to
22.5 kW, enough to power the largest of today’s houseboats. Westerbeke is a
privately owned company, based in Taunton, Massachusetts. Additional information
is available at www.safeCOproducts.com or www.westerbeke.com
About Double Angel Foundation
The
purpose of the foundation is to save lives. As ambassadors of the Foundation,
Ken and Bambi Dixey began a crusade to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon
monoxide poisoning on houseboats. The foundation has made a direct impact on
this problem and encouraged many positive changes by addressing the risk of
carbon monoxide poisoning involving many organizations including the Coast
Guard, the National Park Service, and the houseboat manufacturers. Several boat
manufacturers have completely retrofitted new boats to make them much safer for
consumers. The foundation has provided educational tapes to the head coroners in
each state in the U.S. encouraging them to test all drowning victims near boats
for carbon monoxide poisoning. By properly identifying these incidents as
drowning due to CO poisoning as opposed to mere drowning, this may force safety
changes and provide further awareness. For more information 303-841-2420 or: www.doubleangel.org
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/3/prweb221881.htm