It’s Carbon Monoxide Week
Carbon Monoxide week started yesterday, 16/11/15, and ends 23/11/15. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness of gas safety across the UK. It’s an annual safety week and is run by the registered charity, ‘Carbon Monoxide Awareness‘.
Every year in the UK, more than 200 people go to hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, and around 40 people die. Small children and the elderly are most at risk, and CORGI HomePlan is campaigning for every home to get a carbon monoxide detector, so that they can keep their family safe.
CORGI HomePlan surveyed 2,000 people about gas safety and their awareness of carbon monoxide. The results were alarming.
Less than half of boilers in the UK (41 per cent) are serviced annually. A shocking seven per cent of UK boilers have never been serviced.
Regular, annual, servicing of all gas appliances – boilers, cookers, fires and heaters – is the best defence against carbon monoxide leaks.
Carbon monoxide (CO) doesn’t announce its arrival. You cannot see it, smell it, touch it or taste it. It’s indiscriminate and is rightly known as the ‘silent killer’.
CO is produced by the incomplete burning of gas. This happens when a gas appliance has been incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained. It can also occur if flues, chimneys or vents are blocked.
Breathing in even small amounts of the gas results in carbon monoxide poisoning. CORGI HomePlan’s 2015 research revealed that one in 10 adults in the UK believes they have suffered CO poisoning to some extent.
When you breathe in carbon monoxide, it gets into your bloodstream and prevents your red blood cells from carrying oxygen. Without oxygen, your body tissue and cells die.
Levels that do not kill can cause serious harm to health when breathed in over a long period of time. Long term effects of carbon monoxide poisoning include paralysis and brain damage. For that very reason it’s so important that you’re aware of the dangers and as such take the correct preventative measures. For more information please click here.
1 Comments
Hannah Latoya Bond
November 17, 2015 at 10:50 pm
It's great to raise awareness for carbon monoxide poisoning. Many people have a smoke alarm in their home but don't bother which a carbon monoxide alarm x