1、Designation: E 2292 04Standard Practice forInvestigation of Investigating Carbon Monoxide PoisoningIncidents1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 2292; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of la
2、st revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1. Scope1.1 This practice covers guidelines for collecting and pre-serving information and physical evidence related to incidentsin
3、volving the poisoning of individuals by carbon monoxide.1.2 This practice is not intended to be a guide for investi-gating carbon monoxide poisoning caused by hostile fires, orcontamination in closed air systems. Guidance on the investi-gation of carbon monoxide poisonings related to fire can befoun
4、d in NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investiga-tions.1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-b
5、ility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E 678 Practice for Evaluation of Technical DataE 860 Practice for Examining And Testing Items That Areor May Become Involved in LitigationE 1020 Practice for Reporting Incidents2.2 NFPA Standards:NFPA 54 National
6、 Fuel Gas Code3NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations33. Significance and Use3.1 Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for approxi-mately 300 deaths annually in the U.S., (excluding fire deaths)and carbon monoxide poisoning causes thousands of individu-als to seek medical attention.
7、3.2 This practice is intended for use by individuals whoinvestigate incidents involving carbon monoxide poisoning. Ifthis procedure is followed, the cause for the carbon monoxidepoisoning incident may be determined, and steps can be takento prevent future incidents.4. Equipment4.1 Electronic Carbon
8、Monoxide MonitorA properly cali-brated direct reading electronic monitor having a range of 0 to1000 ppm is useful in that its output provides almost instanta-neous concentration data, and it therefore has the capability towarn the investigator if carbon monoxide levels are reachingdangerous concentr
9、ations.4.2 Reagent Tube IndicatorSeveral types of reagent tubeindicators are available for measuring carbon monoxide, car-bon dioxide, and fuel gases. Reagent tubes capable of respond-ing to concentrations of 0 to 100 ppm, 0 to 1000 ppm, and 0 to1 % carbon monoxide in air are recommended.4.3 Ventila
10、tion EquipmentA fan or similar device shouldbe available to allow flushing the air space around equipmentbetween tests.4.4 All equipment shall be calibrated at least annually.5. Safety5.1 Testing equipment suspected of causing carbon monox-ide poisoning can yield definitive results that cannot beobt
11、ained any other way. Testing equipment that may haveinjured individuals; however, is a potentially dangerous under-taking, in that the investigator runs the risk of becomingexposed to carbon monoxide being produced by improperlyfunctioning equipment.5.2 Safe testing procedures are of the utmost impo
12、rtance.Before any testing is planned, a safety officer shall be identi-fied. The safety officers responsibilities shall be to protect thesafety and health of the investigator and any individuals whomay be affected by the testing.5.3 Stable communications should be assured between thesite and emergen
13、cy service providers.5.4 Until its safe operation has been verified, only oneperson at a time should be allowed into any space where apiece of equipment is being tested for carbon monoxide output.That person should remain within sight of the safety officer oranother individual capable of rescuing th
14、at individual from thespace.1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E30 on ForensicSciences and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E30.05 on Engineering.Current edition approved March 1, 2004. Published April 2004. Originallyapproved in 2003. Last previous edition approv
15、ed in 2003 as E 229203.2For referenced ASTM standards. visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandardsvolume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from NFPA, 470 Atlantic Ave.
16、, Boston, MA 02210.1Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.5.5 All testing shall be discussed in detail with all individu-als involved in the testing, prior to the beginning of any test.6. Procedure6.1 Scene Securitythe first
17、 priority is to evacuate thescene and prevent further injuries or loss of life.6.1.1 After evacuation, the scene should be secured, and ifpossible, a field measurement of carbon monoxide levels invarious locations around the scene should be taken.6.1.2 The fuel supply to the scene should be turned o
18、ff. Thismay require the switching off of internal combustion engines,or the closing of valves for gaseous or liquid fuels.6.2 Documentary Informationcollect information relatedto the poisoning event, including emergency phone line record-ings, and medical records, particularly those that describe th
19、eblood gas analysis of the victims. Obtain statements as early asfeasible from all individuals associated with the incident.6.3 Identify all fuel-burning equipment in the site.6.3.1 A partial list of equipment that might be a potentialsource of carbon monoxide includes gas appliances (furnaces,range
20、s, ovens, water heaters, and clothes dryers), fireplaces,wood and coal stoves, space heaters, charcoal grills, campstoves, automobiles, gas-powered lawnmowers, and gas pow-ered tools.6.4 Once all of the fuel-burning equipment has been iden-tified, establish and document the condition of the valvesan
21、d/or switches on each piece of equipment at the time of theincident.6.5 Determine the source of fuel, air, and ventilation of eachpiece of equipment.6.5.1 Determine whether any of the equipment is located inan enclosure that can be defined as a “confined space.”6.5.1.1 Confined spaces are defined in
22、 NFPA 54 as, “a spacewhose volume is less than fifty cubic feet per 1000 btu per hour(4.8 m3per kW) of the aggregate input of all appliancesinstalled in that space.”6.5.2 Determine whether the equipment has an adequatesupply of air for combustion and ventilation as specified inNFPA 54, chapter 5.6.5
23、.3 Determine whether the equipment, if venting is re-quired, is vented to safely carry the products of combustionoutside, as required by NFPA 54, chapter 7.6.5.4 Determine whether any temporary obstructions of theequipment ventilation, including obstructions of the return airvents have been moved.6.
24、6 Planning the TestDevelop a plan for safely testing thepotential sources of carbon monoxide in the scene. In mostcases, this planning will involve preparation of a writtenprotocol for tests to be carried out. Refer to Practice E 678 inplanning any tests.6.6.1 This plan will typically include the tu
25、rning on ofequipment and observing its performance using the carbonmonoxide monitoring devices described in Section 5.6.6.2 Identify the individuals who will be conducting thetests, including the safety officer.6.6.3 Identify any individuals who may have an interest inthe outcome of the testing.6.6.
26、3.1 Such individuals may include the property owner,representatives of the victim(s), equipment manufacturers,equipment service personnel, law enforcement officers, codeenforcement officers, and the insurance carrier for any of theparties listed above.6.7 Notify individuals who have been identified
27、as possiblyhaving an interest in the testing of the time that the tests aregoing to take place. For additional guidance on notification, seePractice E 860.6.7.1 Keep a record of individuals who have been notified ofthe proposed testing.6.7.2 Notification of other interested parties may not benecessa
28、ry if the investigation is going to be limited to obser-vations that do not change the condition of any of the structuresor equipment.6.8 Operate each piece of equipment that has been identifiedas a potential source of carbon monoxide in the manner inwhich it is designed to be operated, and, using t
29、he equipmentdescribed in Section 5, measure the carbon monoxide output, ifany.6.8.1 Attempt to reconstruct temporary obstructions to thereturn air or combustion air vents or to the flues or chimneys.6.8.2 If abnormal operation of any piece of equipment issuspected, operate that equipment in the abno
30、rmal fashion, ifpossible, changing only one operating parameter at a time, andrecord the results.6.8.3 Operate equipment or appliances in combination, onlyif the combination of equipment is suspected of contributing tothe cause of the carbon monoxide buildup.7. Collection of Physical Evidence7.1 Onc
31、e all parties to the investigation are satisfied thatsufficient testing has been accomplished, items of physicalevidence pertinent to the conclusions may be secured.7.2 Label according to Practice E 1859.7.3 Frequently, the device that is identified as havingproduced the carbon monoxide can be resto
32、red to a safeoperating condition, and left in place after the condition thatled to the poisoning event has been sufficiently documented.8. Report8.1 The investigative report should include the followinginformation.8.1.1 Location, date and time of the incident.8.1.2 Extent of the victims injuries, in
33、cluding carboxyhe-moglobin (COHb) level in the victims blood.8.1.3 Identification of the source of the carbon monoxide.8.1.4 Identification of conditions that caused the source ofthe carbon monoxide to produce the carbon monoxide.8.1.5 Identification of a path of travel from the carbonmonoxide produ
34、cing device to the victim.8.1.6 A description of corrective actions needed to renderthe equipment safe.8.1.7 For additional guidance on reporting the incident,refer to Practice E 1020.E2292042ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection wit
35、h any item mentionedin this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the riskof infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility.This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible techn
36、ical committee and must be reviewed every five years andif not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for additional standardsand should be addressed to ASTM International Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful considerati
37、on at a meeting of theresponsible technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you shouldmake your views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, at the address shown below.This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr Har
38、bor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,United States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the aboveaddress or at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or serviceastm.org (e-mail); or through the ASTM website(www.astm.org).E2292043
