The storage of wood pellets can be dangerous for companies and households due to carbon monoxide release. But by taking structural and technical safety precautions into account, operators of pellet heating systems can counteract hazardous situations – even before they arise.
As a renewable resource, wood pellets combine low raw material prices with climate-neutral combustion and the prospect of government subsidies.
Wood pellet heating systems have now established themselves as a fixture in the industry, municipalities, and private households. The data for retrofitting or new construction of pellet boilers and pellet stoves continue to show upwards.
Because their advantages are obvious: As a renewable resource, wood pellets combine low raw material prices with climate-neutral production and incineration, as well as the prospect of government subsidies.
However, the operators of wood pellet stores are seldom aware that wood pellets’ storage and delivery can sometimes be associated with life-threatening risks if the safety measures are not taken into account. Never underrate carbon monoxide poisoning. It can lead to dangerous health issues. The poisonous gas escapes from the wood pellets and can occur in dangerously high concentrations in storage rooms.
Ignorance and inattention to carbon monoxide dangers have led to severe poisoning and even death in German pellet stores in recent years.
Avoidable: carbon monoxide poisoning from wood pellets
Wood pellets are made from wood residues such as planning and sawdust. The fats and fatty acids in the wood react with oxygen and release carbon monoxide (CO) in this process, known as auto-oxidation.
The human sense cannot perceive carbon monoxide because of its nature: odorless, tasteless, and colorless. Also, it has a density similar to air and accordingly spreads quickly and unnoticed in closed rooms.
As long as the carbon monoxide concentration does not exceed the limit of 115 ppm, no health effects are to be feared. However, if there is an increased concentration, the gas affects the oxygen supply to the body. Side effects can range from headache, dizziness, nausea to unconsciousness and death.
Numerous factors influence whether wood pellets emit dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide. The decisive factors are, for example, the type of wood used, the storage period, the temperature within the store, and how the pellets are handled when goods are handled, including delivery.
Also, defective boilers and pressure differences between the boiler room and storage room can cause backflow of flue gases, which also cause the carbon monoxide concentration in the air to rise sharply.
Various measures for the construction and handling of pellet stores are derived from these factors, ensuring the safety in wood pellet stores.
