Gas Safety Week, which this year runs from 15-21 September, is a national safety campaign to raise awareness of gas safety in the UK's 23 million gas fuelled homes.
As an energy supplier, it’s important that we help highlight the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and give advice on how to spot signs of its presence and how to deal with a possible leak. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that cannot be seen, smelt or tasted. It can be produced by everyday household items and you would never even know it is there.
The only way to know for sure that you are safe from CO poisoning is by installing an audible CO alarm. They can be bought from DIY shops, supermarkets and high street shops.
In addition, it is important to keep a close eye out for the symptoms of CO poisoning:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Breathlessness
- Collapse
- Loss of consciousness
The best way to avoid CO poisoning is to service your appliances each year by a qualified and registered engineer and ensure your ventilation is unblocked. Blocked chimneys or vents can be very dangerous and can lead to a build-up of CO.
And it’s not just in the home that CO can be an issue, many items commonly associated with camping and the summer, such as BBQs and campfires, can produce CO. When used in an enclosed space, in tents, gazebos, marquees, etc, CO can build up very quickly. You should never bring a BBQ into your tent, even if it has been extinguished for a long time. BBQs continue to give off CO after they have gone out. If you are going camping or on holiday please take a portable CO alarm with you to stay safe.
Finally, if you do think there is a CO emergency it is important to follow these 5 keys steps:
- Open doors or windows to ventilate the room
- Seek medical advice and dial 999
- Turn off appliances and get them checked by a registered engineer
- Call the relevant emergency advice line
- Do not smoke, turn on light switches or create a spark of any kind.
All the information that you will need to stay safe can be found in this booklet which highlights the causes, symptoms and ways to keep safe. It has been provided by the CO-Be Alarmed Campaign which is run by Energy UK on behalf of energy companies including SSE and aims to raise awareness of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.