Construction worker dies of carbon monoxide poisoning

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This article was published 28/07/2023 (780 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A worker died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a home under construction in Charleswood Wednesday evening.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were called to the medical emergency at the construction site on Beck Cove shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, the service said Thursday.

Paramedics arrived first and went inside the house, where the carbon monoxide detectors they carry sounded within seconds after detecting unsafe levels of the dangerous gas.

WFPS said paramedics raced to evacuate the bystanders who had been giving the victim, who was unresponsive, medical care. The victim, whose age, sex and name have not been released, was declared dead at the scene.

Firefighters arrived soon after and detected readings of over 2,000 parts per million of carbon monoxide in the house. Safe Work Manitoba advises employers to ensure readings don’t exceed 25 parts per million over an eight-hour shift.

The two bystanders were treated by paramedics, who took one of them to hospital. The paramedics who responded to the scene were also assessed at hospital, WFPS said.

The fire paramedic service believes a gas-powered pump used on the site was the source of the carbon monoxide buildup. First responders have notified provincial workplace safety officials.

The colourless, odourless and tasteless gas is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels.

— Staff