Fire service issues carbon monoxide warning

Householders across Cumbria are being urged to protect themselves from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service is calling on residents to ensure gas appliances are routinely inspected and that people are aware of the warning signs of potentially fatal carbon monoxide (CO) leaks.

According to statistics, around 50 people die in Britain each year from carbon monoxide poisoning, so to help prevent tragedies in Cumbria, people in the county are being warned to take the proper precautions.

The fitting of a British Standards kitemarked CO alarm in the home is the best way to ensure any CO leaks are detected, but gas appliances, fossil fuel and wood burning appliances should also be regularly checked by a registered engineer.

Cumbria’s Chief Fire Officer Dominic Harrison said: "Carbon monoxide can potentially be a silent killer, so it’s essential that people take a few basic precautions to keep themselves safe.

"By fitting a CO alarm and getting gas appliances checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer, residents can help prevent themselves becoming carbon monoxide victims.”

At high levels carbon monoxide poisoning can cause sudden collapse, loss of consciousness and death. Other symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, chest pains, nausea and vomiting.

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas which is difficult to detect. However there are sometimes indicators that may suggest a fault with domestic boilers or flues. The signs of trouble are black sooty marks on the radiants – the clay bars above the gas flames - of gas fires, soot marks on the wall around stoves, boilers or fires and smoke accumulating in rooms due to faulty flues.

Yellow instead of blue flames from gas appliances is another sign that there may be a fault with the appliance (although this does not apply to fuel-effect, living-flame or decorative-flame gas fires as they are designed to look like flames from a solid fuel appliance).

What should you do if the CO alarm goes off?
Stay calm and immediately:

*       Open doors & windows to ventilate the area
*       If possible turn off all fuelled appliances and stop using them
*       Evacuate the area leaving all doors & window open
*       Get medical help immediately for anyone that you think is suffering from CO poisoning. Visit your       local Accident & Emergency department or if this is not possible, call an ambulance and explain         the situation clearly.
*       Contact the emergency gas service and explain the situation clearly on 0800 111999.
*       Do not return to the area until the CO alarm has stopped.
*       Do not use the appliances again until they have been checked by an expert and any faults are    located and repaired.

What are the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning?

Early symptoms of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can mimic many common ailments and may easily be confused with food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simple tiredness. Symptoms to look out for include:

*       Headaches or dizziness
*       Breathlessness
*       Nausea
*       Loss of consciousness
*       Tiredness
*       Pains in the chest or stomach
*       Erratic behaviour
*       Visual problems

What should I do if I think my appliance is spilling Carbon monoxide?

*       Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999
*       Switch off the appliance and shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve
*       Open all doors and windows to ventilate the room
*       Visit your GP and tell him/her that you believe your may have been exposed to carbon monoxide