Protect yourself against carbon monoxide poisoning while traveling

As published by the USA today, the deaths of a family of four from Iowa while vacationing in Tulum, Mexico, have raised questions about what travelers can do to take care of themselves abroad.

Authorities say they died from inhaling toxic gas. It is still unclear what the source of that gas was but it was deemed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. And authorities say it was unintentional.

Travel experts say one way to avoid such an outcome is to travel with a portable carbon monoxide detector and to check fire exits when checking in.

“It should be part of your normal checklist,” says Anthony Roman, a risk management expert who runs his own firm. “Even in wonderful vacations, the risks can increase because we are normally distracted. Safety should be on our checklist of items.”

Stan Sandberg, co-Founder of TravelInsurance.com, says travelers should carefully inspect vacation rentals and look for signs that it is well-maintained and managed properly.

“Make sure to meet the property or rental manager in person,” Sandberg says. “Ask about air conditioning, heating and how the rental’s other utilities work and whether they’ve been serviced recently. Does it have a guest book with comments from previous renters?”

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Source: USA today