Carbon monoxide from a carpet-cleaning machine kills 2

[Bob Foster]

Preliminary findings of an investigation into the deaths of two men in a Richmond townhouse suggest a buildup of may have played a role.

“I believe the Richmond Fire Department determined that there was a presence of carbon monoxide in the home,” Donna Freeman, a spokeswoman for the agency that investigates workplace deaths, said Tuesday.

WorkSafeBC and the B.C. Coroner’s Office have launched a joint investigation into the deaths, discovered Monday. Four investigators arrived at the townhouse in the east end of the Vancouver suburb around 9:30 p.m., she said.

Their preliminary findings reveal that the deceased men were carpet cleaners who may have died because they were operating a gas-powered cleaning generator in a “relatively closed space,” causing carbon monoxide to build up in the townhome.

Investigators were now looking into how regularly the generator is used in the business.

Freeman said the men, aged 63 and 45, had been working at the townhome all day.

“The two men were at the townhouse for most of the day. They had been there from 8 a.m. They were last seen by the property manager at 4 p.m. and they told the manager that they’d be done by 6 p.m.,” she said. “When he didn’t hear back from them, he did go and check on them. That’s when he found them and called 911.”

She said it’s believed the two were employees of a carpet cleaning company called Fast Speed Carpet and Upholstery.

Freeman said they will wait for the provincial coroner’s office to conduct a toxicology report to determine the men’s exact cause of death.

 

[Chads]

Wow that sucks,wonder what stupid little mistake happened, and that how usually happens the little mistake that has such great consequences.

 

[diamond brian]

Dumb-Ass Canadians.

 

[John Watson]

What other kind remarks would we expect from a flippen dumb ignorant Oky.

Bob, To me it sounds like they were using a Generator to power their portable electric machine. I could be wrong, but you know I don't speak fluent Canadian, let alone read it.. Keep us posted

 

[Ron Werner]

I first heard of this back in 96 when Mike West was teaching the Carpet Tech Crse. He told me of cleaners that would back their pto TM into the garage and go to work. Of course the exhaust fumes come into the house, not out the garage door. He had mentioned some had died from CO poisoning and some were dang lucky .

Better to keep your TM well outside than try and run a short length of hose.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Most news reports about truck mount deaths refer to them as "generators", as the uniformed only see the motor in the truck and then come to that conclusion.

A number of people are sickened by this every year, and every year or so we hear of deaths.

The loss of life is tragic in itself; when the circumstances are completely preventable, its even more so.

Families lost fathers, husbands, sons. Men just like us.

 

[Craig Lindquist]

That is terrible!
I had my own dealing a few years ago. I was working on my TM in my garage and I had the door half open with a few air movers blowing the air out. All was fine until I went up in the van with the TM running and I couldn't see the door. The door closed. I got light headed and was life flighted to Pittsburgh and put into a hyperbolic chamber.

I was almost DEAD!

 

[hogjowl]

Well, THAT explains it.

 

[timnelson]

Freeman said the carpet-cleaning equipment was on a truck parked in the garage and the men were working in a "relatively closed" area. The equipment included an "internal combustion engine."



Maybe someone should design a wand with a built-in carbon monoxide detector.

 

[Royal Man]

Sad but, this is common in our industry.

That is why I prefer to use an electric truck mount.

In cold or rainy weather I pull in to the garage and shut the door. Warm and cozy cleaning without any frozen hoses, cold drafts or carbon monoxide fumes.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I suspect many of us have inadvertently exposed ourselves and others to carbon monoxide more often than we realize.

My daughter and I were on a job when the customer's 2 CO detectors went off. The truck was in the driveway ten feet or so from the open garage door on a breezy day. The detectors were perhaps 30' inside the house. It was just a matter of wind direction that day, and the fact that a detector was there to document the situation. I think it happens a lot.

I now try to position the truck closer to the street, even if it means more hose.

Don't want to end up as an item in the Cleaning Digest

 

[rhyde]

I got light headed and was life flighted to Pittsburgh and put into a hyperbolic chamber.

don't you mean hyperbaric ...lol



unless it's a long driveway or exceedingly busy road or no sholder i like to park in the street

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Craig

This is not the place to visit for any degree of sympathy.

MB considers ridicule and abuse to be a part of the therapy process to help you leave the fear and anxiety from such an incident behind you.

I've always known Marty to be among to first to volunteer to help in such a way, but was pleasantly surprised to see Randy give his full support to your recovery as well.

I don't doubt that you might receive more such support from others soon.

Consider this to be a sort of the "Outward Bound" of the cleaning industry.

 

[John Watson]

Come to think aboot it, I did hear of something like this years ago. Bill Bane regularly reported on things like this and propane fires in carpet cleaners vans to promote his electric machines.

I have also, on this board I believe more than once , seen electric units made stationary and or portable in a van and they added a generator as a power source. Odin had photo's with his units and so did some one with a castex unit I believe. Heck, it could have been on any of the other boards as well.

We just need to be aware that exhaust fumes can kill and it doesn't matter what type of machine you got..

 

[AJackson]

Bonnet Cleaning - 1
HWE/TM Cleaning - 0

 

[FB7777]

I got light headed and was life flighted to Pittsburgh and put into a hyperbolic chamber.

I was almost DEAD!

I totally believe that they put him in a chamber and pumped him full of hyperbole :roll:

off the top of my head I can think of a few cleanboarders that go in for monthly treatments.

 

[Art Kelley]

I thought this was going to be an ad for Bane Clean. They love to show pictures of dumbasses who's trucks catch fire or kill their customers and themselves with CO. I think a funny picture in response would show Bane cleaners wondering what to do when there is a power shortage during a job. :? :?

 

[steve r]

longer extension cords. i keep 200 ft of em. i havent had to steal from the neighbors yet but...

 

[bob vawter]

I love those Bane Fires..........jimmy sez:

If you has ALL the components to a BOMB...and an open Flame...in the same proximity....and given enough time....

it is only a matter of when....not if!

 

[steve r]

im picturing a guy standing in a living room holding an extension cord scratching his head with no outlets in the room. :shock:

 

[asupremeclean]

“The two men were at the townhouse for most of the day. They had been there from 8 a.m. They were last seen by the property manager at 4 p.m. and they told the manager that they’d be done by 6 p.m.,” she said. “When he didn’t hear back from them, he did go and check on them. That’s when he found them and called 911.”

She said it’s believed the two were employees of a carpet cleaning company called Fast Speed Carpet and Upholstery.

FAST SPEED???

Let's see...8am to 6pm...One Townhouse......................................

What the hell were they doing in there for that long? Even at 4pm when she last saw them?

I don't know how many times I get told by the home owner to go ahead and park in the garage. Only to then tell them why I can't.

By there ages you would think these guys should have known better.

 

[Ron Werner]

The problem with common sense. It ain't that common!

Bonnet Cleaning - 1
HWE/TM Cleaning - 0

Goes to show, HWE requires a "well-trained" technician, intelligent, observant, , quick thinking.
What does it take to bonnet clean?




:wink:

 

[Kevin. McCreary]

I once heard of a guy that had a Bane unit running.

The power cord had a bare spot on it touching the step well of his van.

He went out to the truck for an upholstery tool,

grabbed the top of the truck door while simultaneously

stepping in a puddle of water on the ground from his over flown Fresh water

tank and the electrical currency froze him up and killed him.

 

[DRScrivner]

“

FAST SPEED???

Let's see...8am to 6pm...One Townhouse......................................

What the hell were they doing in there for that long?

Apparently they were on a dye job.

 

[-JB-]

God bless their souls.

 

[Chris A]

Kevin, is that like the story of the cat and the vac hose?

 

[Craig Lindquist]

I did mean hyperbaric, but spelling cow, sponsored by chem-dry changed it.

 

[Kelly]

maybe it wasnt accidental, maybe the two guys were star crossed gay lovers with a suicide pact, and if they did it to themselves when they were on the job the insurance would still pay their non gay families. You just dont know now do you....or...maybe its just the classic symptom that arises from rectal cranial intrusion. Or maybe there should be a law that makes manufacturers put a carbon monoxide warning sticker on the front of the machine. Better yet the iicrc should make a standard that requires a carbon monoxide detector to be on every job to protect people who are retarded in some fashion. I personally am betting they were star crossed gay lovers with a suicide pact. By the way no matter how hard people have tried....no one....knows how to cure stupidity

 

[Dolly Llama]

I got a frantic call from a tenant about her "smoke" detector going off.
(we're on an emergency call list for a couple PMs we do biz with)

So I drive over to check it out.

The way the house is designed, one bed room is over the single car garage.
It was the CO detector that was going off in that bed rm.

"lady, don't leave the car the garage while warming up"

or "at least" open the damn garage door....

I worry about some tenants
Cause many steal the batteries (we install) out the alarms for their toys/radios, etc

some out right disable them so they don't go off when smoking their dope


..L.T.A.

 

[hogjowl]

A couple of years ago, I was cleaning a restaurant late at night. As I was cleaning, I started to realize that my truck mount was making a strange noise. It sounded like it was twice as loud, and the pitch was off. I started to walk outside to see what was up and as I passed the kitchen I heard an engine running inside the kitchen. I opened the door to fine two idiots. One was standing beside the gasoline operated pressure washer while the other was working the wand.

No open doors, or any observable ventilation.

I went to the manager and told him if he wanted me to finish, he's have to do something about those two idiots.