Carbon monoxide and boats
Carbon monoxide is a hazardous toxic gas – you can't smell it, see it or taste it, but it can pose a real threat to the personal safety of those aboard your vessel.
Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, nausea and fatigue. These symptoms warn that a dangerous concentration is being inhaled but they may be mistaken for the flu as the gas goes undetected. Prolonged exposure can lead to brain damage and at worst, death.
Prospective and existing vessel owners and operators should be aware of the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning in enclosed engine rooms or auxiliary machinery spaces when combustion engines are running.
Vessel owners and operators should also be aware that the configuration of boats with partially-enclosed cabins, wheelhouses or passenger accommodation spaces combined with the prevailing weather conditions can create a situation where machinery exhaust fumes that are discharged overboard are drawn back into these enclosed areas.
For this reason, care should be taken with boats that are fitted with fold-down side curtains or transparencies as they may cause a concentration of overboard exhaust emissions within the enclosed space when deployed. The risk is that toxic gases will be drawn over the transom or cockpit deck area if a curtain is left open or only partially deployed, a situation that is exacerbated when the vessel is underway.
The owners and operators of larger vessels should also ensure appropriate controls are in place for safe entry into confined spaces such as sealed void spaces, fuel tanks, sullage tanks, battery storage compartments and compartments where harmful gases may be present. The requirements of Australian/New Zealand Standard 2865 – Confined spaces provide a minimum benchmark for safety compliance in this area. When in doubt, owners and operators of these vessels should err on the side of safety and exclude entry to these spaces until safe access can be assured in accordance with requirements of the standard.
