Facts You Should Know about CO
- CO cannot be seen or smelled, but it can kill you or make you sick.
- Know the symptoms of CO poisoning:
Headache
Confusion
Fatigue
Seizures
Dizziness Loss of consciousness
Nausea
Get to fresh air and seek medical help immediately if you or a family member has these symptoms!
- Install and test daily a battery operated CO detector.
- CO from engine exhaust builds up inside and outside the boat in areas near exhaust vents. Stay away and do not swim near these areas while propulsion engines or generator are running.
- Schedule regular engine and exhaust system maintenance inspections by experienced and trained technicians.
- Be aware that dangerous concentrations of CO can accumulate within seconds.
- All CO poisonings are preventable!
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In August 2000, the National Park Service, through the Department of the Interior, requested assistance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the US Coast Guard to evaluate visitor and employee carbon monoxide (CO) exposures from generators and propulsion engines on houseboats. This initial investigation characterized CO poisonings through epidemiologic data gathering and the measurement of severely hazardous CO concentrations on houseboats at Lake Powell . Since that initial investigation, over 600 boating-related poisonings in 35 states have been identified with over 100 of these poisonings resulting in death. Over 250 of the poisonings occurred on houseboats, with more than 200 of these poisonings attributed to generator exhaust alone.
Initial investigations conducted by NIOSH industrial hygienists and engineers showed very high concentrations of CO on and around houseboats using gasoline-powered generators. Following these investigations, NIOSH worked with major houseboat and generator manufacturers to evaluate novel engineering controls to reduce CO concentrations in occupied areas on houseboats. This work led to collaborations with external partners to evaluate new engineering technologies designed to reduce CO poisonings on many other types of recreational boats (including ski boats and express cruisers). Since the start of this project, new catalyst-based low CO emission generators and stern-drive engines have been developed by manufacturers to help address this issue. This work has been conducted since 2002 under a continuing Interagency agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard.
This work has been supported by the following partners
- National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)
- Forever Resorts LLC
- Sumerset Houseboats
- Westerbeke Corporation
- Indmar Products Inc.
- Ancon Marine Consultants
- Kohler Power Systems
- National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
- American Boat Yacht Council (ABYC)
- Mercury Marine
- Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA)
The reports listed below on this page include: 1) Health Hazard Evaluations which document hazardous environments on and around houseboats, 2) Engineering Control Technology Reports which report on the evaluation of engineering controls which have been developed to mitigate boat-related CO poisonings, and 3) National Case Listing of carbon monoxide poisonings and deaths reported by state. Additional studies have been conducted to characterize the environments surrounding other recreational boats including bass boats, ski boats, personal watercraft and express cruisers. This page will continue to evolve as work is continuing to evaluate and address hazards associated with CO on other houseboats and recreational boats.
Health Hazard Evaluations
Final Report Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: A comprehensive report
of the interagency project activity involving Glen Canyon
(January 2005)
HETA No. 2000-400-2956, 2002-0325-2956 (January 2005)
 PDF only 1.80 MB (40 pages)
Exhaust stack evaluation: An evaluation of two exhaust stack configurations
on Table Rock Lake
HETA No. 2003-0318-2936 (June 2004)
PDF only 585 KB (35 pages)
Reports on CO Exposures at Lake Havasu , AZ
HETA No. 2002-0393-2928 (February 2004)
PDF only
573 KB (85 pages)
CO concentrations on boats in the Raft-Off Event at Lake Norman , NC July
27, 2002
HETA No. 2002-0340 (April 2005)
PDF only 573
KB (26 pages)
Evaluation of houseboat generator exhaust at Lake Mead
HETA No. 2001-0100 (April 2001)
PDF only 549
KB (24 pages)
Evaluation of houseboat generator exhaust at Lake
Mead on "pontoon style" houseboats
HETA No. 2001-0100 (April 2001)
PDF only 549
KB (24 pages)
CO investigation on houseboats at Lake Cumberland , KY
HETA No. 2001-0026 (December 2000)
PDF only 636
KB (34 pages)
NIOSH Engineering Reports
Houseboats
An Evaluation of Catalytic Emission Controls to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisonings From Houseboat Generator Exhaust, Callville Bay Marina, Boulder City, Nevada
EPHB No. 171-38a (October 2006)
PDF only 4.9 MB (32 pages)
An Evaluation of Catalytic Emission Controls and Vertical Exhaust Stacks
to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisonings from Houseboat Generator Exhaust
EPHB No. 171-36a (September 2000)
PDF only 404
KB (28 pages)
Houseboat generator exhaust stack performance evaluation: An
evaluation of factors that might influence exhaust stack performance
to prevent CO poisonings from houseboat generator exhaust
EPHB No. 171-34a1 (January 2004)
PDF only 3.22
MB (48 pages)
Follow-up evaluation of houseboat generator exhaust stack system changes
EPHB
No. 171-34a2 (July 2004)
PDF only 532KB
(10 pages)
An evaluation of houseboat generator exhaust controls. Houseboat
generator vertical exhaust stack and aged emission control devices
evaluations
EPHB
No. 171-32a (October 2003)
PDF only 3.27MB
(48 pages)
Evaluation of Side Exhaust and Prototype and Production
Emission Control Devices to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisonings on Houseboats. Text
of NIOSH technical report on Emission Control Devices
EPHB
No. 171-29a (May 2002)
PDF only 2.00MB
(45 pages)
Report evaluating the effectiveness of exhaust stack on Fun Country
Marine, Inc. houseboats on Lake Mead
EPHB No. 171-28a (August 2001)
PDF only 1.08MB
(47 pages)
Evaluation of Generator Emission Control Device and Interlock
Device
EPHB No. 171-27a (August 2001)
PDF only 2.76MB
(42 pages)
Report on "Dry Stack" Exhaust System Evaluation
at Sumerset Custom Houseboats. An Evaluation of an Engineering Control
to Prevent CO Poisonings on Houseboats
EPHB No. 171-26a (May 2001)
PDF only 1.31MB
(29 pages)
Report on "Dry Stack" Exhaust System Evaluation
at Lake Powell (Lake-Time Shared Ownership Houseboats). An Evaluation
of an Engineering Control to Prevent CO Poisonings on Houseboats
EPHB No. 171-25a (March 2001)
PDF only 2.98MB
(38 pages)
Ski Boats
Evaluation of the Sideswipe™ Exhaust System
to Reduce Carbon Monoxide Exposure during Motor Boating and Wake Surfing.
EPHB No. 171-37a (December 2005)
PDF only 476KB
(64 pages)
Evaluation of "Fresh Air Exhaust" System to Reduce
Carbon Monoxide Exposure during Motor Boating and Wake Surfing
EPHB No. 171-35a (August 2004)
PDF only 1.42
MB (20 pages)
CO on recreational boats: CO emissions and exposures on 16 Recreational
Boats under Various Operating Conditions at Lake Norman , NC
EPHB No. 171-31a (April 2003)
PDF only 6.14
MB (76 pages)
CO on recreational boats: Carbon monoxide emissions and exposures on
various recreational boats other than houseboats at Lake Powell and Lake
Mead
EPHB No. 171-05ee2 (February 2003)
PDF only
71KB (34 pages)
Express Cruisers
In-Depth Survey Report of Carbon Monoxide Emissions and Exposures on Express Cruisers Under Various Operating Conditions, Florida, North Carolina and New Jersey
EPHB
No. 289-11a (January 2006)
PDF only 808
DB (79 pages)
CO on recreational boats: CO emissions and exposures on 16 Recreational
Boats under Various Operating Conditions at Lake Norman , NC
EPHB
No. 171-31a (April 2003)
PDF only 6.14
MB (76 pages)
CO on recreational boats: Carbon monoxide emissions and exposures
on various recreational boats other than houseboats at Lake Powell
and Lake Mead
EPHB No. 171-05ee2 (February 2003)
PDF only
71KB (34 pages)
Other Resources
An evaluation of conditions that may affect the performance of
houseboat exhaust stacks in prevention of carbon monoxide poisonings from generators
J Occup Environ Hyg 2006 Jun; 3(6):308-316
Evaluation of carbon monoxide emissions from engines on recreational
boats equipped with prototype catalysts
J Occup Environ Hyg 2006 Feb; 3(2):D4-D7
Carbon monoxide emissions from marine outboard engines
Society of Automotive Engineers Technical Papers No. 2004-32-0011.
Washington, DC: Society of Automotive Engineers, 2004 Nov; :1-11
Carbon monoxide and houseboats: an evaluation of a stack exhaust
system to reduce poisonings associated with generator exhaust
Prof Saf 2003 Nov; 48(11):47-57
An Evaluation of an Engineering Control to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisonings
of Individuals On and Around Houseboats
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 2002 May/Jun; 63(3):361-369
National Case Listing of Carbon Monoxide Poisonings in Boating
PDF only
894 KB (33 pages)
Carbon Monoxide Hazards from Small Gasoline Powered Engines
(Topic Page)
CDC Enviromental Hazards & Health Effects Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
On this page you can find reports detailing how carbon monoxide can be
produced by portable generators, motorboats, fires, and other emissions.
CDC Enviromental
Hazards & Health Effects - CO Poisoning: An Invisible Danger on
Houseboats
Contacts
Alberto Garcia M.S.
Mechanical Engineer
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway MS R-5
Cincinnati, OH 45226
Phone: (513) 841-4596
Fax: (513) 841-4506
Email: agarcia1@cdc.gov
Kevin H. Dunn M.S., C.I.H.
Mechanical Engineer
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway MS R-5
Cincinnati, OH 45226
Phone: (513) 841-4152
Fax: (513) 841-4506
Email: kdunn@cdc.gov
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