News
October 2006
Act now to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning
With winter around the corner and temperatures dropping it’s a good time to get your gas heating appliances checked to avoid potentially deadly carbon monoxide (CO) leaks.
Each year around 30 people in the UK die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning caused by faulty domestic gas appliances and flues, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and many others suffer ill health from lower-level exposure.
A major problem with CO leaks is detection. You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide and the early symptoms of CO poisoning, which include drowsiness, headaches, and nausea, can be mistaken for flu or tiredness. However, the HSE says that tell-tale signs to look out for include:
- yellow or brown staining around, or on, appliances
- pilot lights that frequently blow out
- increased condensation inside windows
- yellow rather than blue flame (apart from flueless fires)
If you suspect that you have a leak and have been affected by CO poisoning, the HSE advises you to:
- contact your local GP and ask for a blood or breath sample
- switch off the appliance and do not reuse until remedial action has been taken
- open all doors and windows to ventilate the room and do not sleep in it
- contact a CORGI registered installer to make repairs
Find more information on the HSE website or call the HSE Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363 (Freephone service).
If you can smell gas, or suspect you have a leak, call the Transco Gas Emergency line (24 hour, Freephone Service) on 0800 111 999.