I had always thought it was common knowledge that carbon monoxide is a silent killer, but it seems that there is still much work to be done in protecting ourselves and our families from this colourless, odorless gas which can take lives in less than five minutes in concentrated amounts.

Just a few months ago, a ten year old boy died after his mum mistook carbon monoxide poisoning for the flu. Worryingly, 43% of Brits admit they wouldn’t know what to do if there was a leak in their home, and worse still, more than a third of UK homes aren’t even fitted with a CO alarm. Each year in the UK over 200 people are admitted to hospital with suspected CO poisoning and around 50 people die unnecessarily from it which is not only a crying shame but also something that is absolutely in our power to change.

This Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month – happening right now – I’ve teamed up with  npower to highlight the findings from its annual carbon monoxide (CO) research to make it known how at risk UK families could be from CO poisoning. It’s clear to see that there is a big gap between the UK’s awareness of CO poisoning and the UK’s actual understanding of what the symptoms are, which appliances can be a cause and also what people should do if they suspect they are suffering from CO poisoning. For example – despite 96 per cent of the UK saying they know CO poisoning can be fatal, less than five per cent are actually able to correctly identify the most common symptoms. So let’s set the record straight right here, right now.

What is carbon monoxide and where does it come from?

Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood don’t fully burn, so incorrectly installed, poorly maintained or poorly ventilated household appliances like boilers, cookers and fires – both gas and solid fuel, can all be causes of CO poisoning.

Between 1995 and 2015, only 35 per cent of deaths from CO poisoning were actually from mains gas appliances or heating. Appliances that burn solid fuel, portable gas bottles and, petrol and diesel are in fact the culprits by and large. Did you know that a log burner could be a source of potential CO poisoning? If not, you are most certainly not alone.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are dizziness, headaches, nausea and vomiting, tiredness and confusion, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, and stomach pain. However, one in six people incorrectly think a metallic taste in your mouth would be a symptom and one in ten think a fever would be a symptom. Although many symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to flu, a fever would never be a symptom.

The silent killer

Despite being known as the “silent killer”one in four people don’t know that CO has no smell, and well over a third admit they wouldn’t know what to do if there was a CO leak in their home.

Carbon monoxide is completely invisible, it has no smell and no taste, so the only definitive way to detect a leak is with a CO alarm, but despite this as I mentioned above, less than two thirds of UK homes have one installed with reasons cited for not having an alarm being: It’s on my to do list – I just haven’t done it yet, I’ve never had one before, and I don’t think I need one.

To me that just seems absolutely crazy – when we moved into our house one of the first things we did was install a CO alarm because “it’s on my to do list” is not going to save lives.

What to do if you suspect someone in your family has CO poisoning

Worryingly only around half of those surveyed  said they would go to hospital if they suspected CO poisoning. If you suspect you or someone you know is suffering from CO poisoning, you should:

• Stop using all appliances
• Open doors and windows
• Evacuate the property immediately
• Call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999 to report the incident
• Don’t go back into the property and seek immediate medical help
  

  • Save

Raising awareness

To get more people talking about the dangers of CO poisoning this carbon monoxide Awareness Month, npower is inviting children across the country to bring the risks of CO to life by drawing what they think the deadly gas would look like if it wasn’t invisible. The aim is for lots of ‘CO monsters’ to be shared across social media with the hashtag #COMonsters which could ultimately help to reduce the number of completely preventable deaths every year. Why not have your children create their own monster and join in the campaign? Here’s some inspo from last year’s monster line up!

For more information about carbon monoxide and to find out how to protect your family, visit: npower.com/co-safety. In the meantime, a summary of all the facts can be found in the infographic alone:

***GIVEAWAY Win a Nest Protect smart smoke and carbon monoxide detector worth £109 on my Giveaway page here***

 

*This is commissioned collaboration

Cover picture credit: Designed by Freepik