Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services used the end of Daylight Saving Time to remind Michiganders to check their carbon monoxide detectors.

The twice-per year clock adjustment has long been considered a perfect time to check and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and the fall is the perfect time to make sure your furnace is also ship-shape.

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is the tasteless, colorless, odorless poison gas that health officials refer to as “the silent killer.” It builds up when fossil fuels are burned. Around 50,000 people across the US visit the emergency room after exposure to carbon monoxide.

Furnaces, gas stoves, generators, water heaters, dryers, gas grills, space heaters, lanterns, chimneys and fireplaces are where most CO poisonings take place.

For more information on CO poisoning, visit http://Michigan.gov/MiTracking.