Carbon Monoxide, The Silent Killer.

According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), there are approximately 40 accidental deaths per year in the UK from Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning, and over 200 cases of recorded admissions to hospitals in England and Wales, which can often lead to lasting damage. It is worth knowing that those most at risk are those under the age of 14 and over the age of 65.

Could you spot the signs of CO poisoning?

Many more people are likely to suffer unknowingly from CO poisoning, and the impact on their health may well be underestimated with such cases can be caused by faulty or badly-serviced gas appliances and systems. The risk carbon monoxide poses to human life can be fatal with it carrying the well-known threat of it being a silent killer; you can’t see it, hear it, smell it or taste it. However, simply being made aware of the signs and symptoms could save your life and can make a huge difference.

There are six main symptoms to look out for, which are:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Breathlessness
• Collapse
• Loss of Consciousness.

CO poisoning symptoms are similar to other more common and less fatal illnesses and ailments such as the flu, general tiredness and viral infection. However, bearing in mind the following situations may help to differentiate between the two:

• Your symptoms only occur when you are at home
• Your symptoms disappear or get better when you leave home and come back when you return 
• Others in your household are experiencing symptoms (including your pets) and they appear at a similar time 

What do I do if I experience any CO poisoning related symptoms?

• Turn off gas appliances and leave the house
• Get fresh air immediately. Open doors and windows, turn off gas appliances and leave the house
• See your doctor immediately or go to the hospital - let them know that you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. To this effect, they can do a blood or breath test to check your levels
• If you think there is immediate danger, call the Gas Emergency Helpline 
• Get a Gas Safe registered engineer to inspect your gas appliances and flues to see if there is a dangerous problem 

Be Proactive. Not Reactive.

A simple and effective way to ensure your property/facility is not at risk from CO poisoning is to have your gas appliances serviced annually by a competent engineer who is registered with Gas Safe Register.  Appliances include boilers, gas-fired water heaters, space heaters, back boilers & cookers.

Alternatively, if your property has natural gas (NG), liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or oil-fired appliances such as oil-fired boilers, cookers or associated appliances, ACS are OFTEC qualified technicians who can provide competitively priced oil boiler servicing accordingly.

For peace of mind, we only employ Gas Safe registered engineers. Qualifications are regularly inspected to ensure continued conformity and best practice. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our Gas Safe team for more information on carbon monoxide poisoning and how to stay Gas Safe.