Two Women Resuscitated After CO Accidents in Vienna

The professional fire brigade was called to an operation in Vienna-Landstraße on June 29. An inspection revealed an increased concentration of carbon monoxide in a bathroom. Upon arrival, the emergency services had to forcibly open the door and found an unconscious woman on the floor.

Woman Resuscitated After CO Accident in Vienna-Landstraße

She was successfully resuscitated and taken to a hospital for further treatment. The causes of the high CO concentration were attributed to the weather conditions and inadequate ventilation of the boiler.

Another Operation After CO Accident in Vienna-Döbling

On June 26, a similar incident occurred in Vienna-Döbling. There, a woman collapsed while showering, and she was also resuscitated and taken to the hospital. In this case, it is suspected that a mobile air conditioning unit was responsible for the elevated CO levels.

Warning from the Vienna Professional Fire Brigade

Under normal circumstances, a gas boiler is absolutely safe. Problems with elevated carbon monoxide concentration can occur if the boiler or chimney is not or poorly maintained, if it is particularly hot, or if fans draw air from the apartment to the outside - for example, with a range hood or a mobile air conditioner that blows exhaust air outside through a hose, e.g., through a tilted window sealed with a special gasket. The Vienna professional fire brigade advises opening windows and doors to the room where the boiler is installed when operating the boiler in the summer – when showering or washing dishes.

High temperatures also favor carbon monoxide accidents: due to extreme heat, a kind of air plug can form in the chimneys. The exhaust gases are not hot enough compared to the outside air and can therefore no longer escape. Therefore, it is important to regularly maintain the gas boiler, have the chimney regularly checked, and contact the chimney sweep when installing new doors or windows. They must determine whether the boiler still receives sufficient combustion air.

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