CO poisoning at Church, risk of lifelong damage to members

[Guest]

Fifty-nine people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after a leak at a Provo meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Intermountain Healthcare officials revealed Monday.

The leak took place just after 11 a.m. Sunday at the meetinghouse, 650 E. Stadium Avenue in Provo, according to Provo Fire and Rescue officials. Numerous people were feeling sick when medical personnel arrived, officials said.

The carbon monoxide was linked to a boiler in the building, which did not have a carbon monoxide detector since it is an older building, officials said. Most of the people affected were teenage girls who were in a young women’s class at the meetinghouse.

https://www.ksl.com/article/46655480/59 ... house-leak

No carbon monoxide detection, but $32 billion in stocks. Don't attend Church unless your Chapel Building has working carbon monoxide detection.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms are similar to the flu — nausea, tiredness, aches, and pains,” Dr. Lindell Weaver, medical director of the Hyperbaric Medicine Center at Intermountain Medical Center and LDS Hospital, said in the release. “If you suspect you have been exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide, you should leave immediately and seek help.”

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

I'm just glad the Spirit intervened and told someone to have everyone leave the building before all these people suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

[_Mormonicious]

Mormon church buildings have to meet building codes that are enacted during the time of construction. As building codes change, only legislative actions can force building owners to meet new code requirements such as building fire sprinklers, smoke detectors, CO detectors, etc.

Since the requirement for a CO detector has not been legislated, no Mormon church built prior to the code change has one. Even though you can get on from a home improvement store for $35.00 (for a good one). Lets see, ~15 000 chapels x $35.00 = $525,000, aw “F”'em, let'em die

[_moksha]

Perhaps going forward the Church can think of carbon monoxide detectors as an adjunct to the Holy Ghost.

[_Physics Guy]

They're kind of like seer stones.

[_I have a question]

Whilst Gretal Kauffman of the Deseret News reported on the incident and passed this comment...

As the weather gets colder and heaters are fired up once again, it’s imperative that people make sure both their carbon monoxide alarms and heat sources are functioning properly, health care officials emphasized in the aftermath of the Provo incident. Carbon monoxide poisoning is often the result of a malfunctioning furnace or other heating appliance, but can usually be prevented with the right precautions.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2019/10/14 ... ther-risks

She neglected to mention that the incident was caused because the Church building didn't have a carbon monoxide detector in the first place.

Of the 60 people treated, 24 underwent hyperbaric treatment, a therapy where people with carbon monoxide poisoning are put in a chamber filled with pure oxygen.

“Hyperbaric reduces the prospect and the risk for brain related injury, but not perfectly,” Weaver said.

Out of the 24 patients treated, he said, “some of those people unfortunately will likely end up with lifelong or many monthslong problems.”

This is a very serious and troubling incident. If the Church doesn't spend this week making sure all Church Buildings worldwide have functioning carbon monoxide detectors, then all meetings and services should be cancelled until they have.

Can the Church be sued for failing to take adequate precautions?
Can Mr Nelson explain why God didn't forewarn him during one of those middle-of-the-night promptings of the risk members face from Church Buildings that don't have CO detection in place?

[_I have a question]

Five days ago...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has updated its guidelines to help its leaders and members remain safe while on Church property. “Changing conditions around the world” are the impetus of this update, the Church’s Presiding Bishopric wrote in a letter to Church leaders.
“These guidelines are meant to help educate leaders and members on how to increase safety at Church buildings and activities,” says the letter signed by Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé and his counselors, Bishop Dean M. Davies and Bishop W. Christopher Waddell. “We invite leaders to discuss them in ward and stake councils and to use them to teach members, as needed, to address local concerns. Leaders should apply these guidelines appropriately and be aware of local laws.”

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.or ... pdate-2019

The guidelines direct Latter-day Saints to rely on local law enforcement in emergencies and suggest several practices members can implement to increase safety. These include being aware of one’s surroundings, staying calm, extending friendship and respect to every visitor, not being alone in a Church building and following the promptings of the Holy Ghost for guidance and safety.

Hmmm, how'd that work out for those members now affected by CO poisoning? The CO poisoning shows that the one thing you definitely cannot rely on for safety guidance is the Holy Ghost.

[_Master_DC]

I recently learned of a similar situation to the OP.

A fairly new (25ish year old) ward building had to shutter its doors due to a black mold infestation. The Church sent some inspectors out from SLC, declared the building, in its current state, is safe for occupancy. Local contractors and specialists disagree with the SLC assessment. Now the Bishops of that building are stuck trying to decide which side to listen to, their boss or the local experts.

interesting yet disgusting side note about this building. A couple of years ago there was a norovirus outbreak, cancelled church one week. The source? the priests breaking bread had human feces on his hands! My favorite quote I heard was from a member, denying that the sacrament bread was the agent, "the bread is blessed, Heavenly Father would clean it for us before we take it, it must be from something else."