Jump to main content

News & Events

Home » News & Events » 2014 » November » Fire Service supports Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

Fire Service supports Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

in Events

The group supports the many victims of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, their families and friends, and campaigns for greater awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide associated with the burning of gas, oil, coal and wood.

Station Commander Alan Haley, Community Safety department said "Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. Ordinarily this would not be a problem but it is also an extremely poisonous gas and because you can't see it, taste it or smell it, it could kill without warning in just a few hours".

"Anything that burns a fossil fuel, a cooker, a boiler, even a barbeque, has the potential to produce CO if the appliance is faulty and the fuel does not burn properly. Installing a CO alarm will provide an early warning system in case there is a carbon monoxide leak in your home. You can buy one from a DIY or hardware store".

He advised that any one of the following could be a sign that there is carbon monoxide in your home:

  • The flame on your cooker should be crisp and blue. Lazy yellow or orange flames mean you need to get your cooker checked
  • Dark staining around or on appliances
  • Pilot lights that frequently blow out
  • Increased condensation inside windows
  • If you have a faulty appliance in your home, it could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Get your gas appliances checked to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Station Commander Haley continued "Being aware of the symptoms could save your life. Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:

  • headaches
  • dizziness
  • nausea
  • breathlessness
  • collapse
  • loss of consciousness

For further information about Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, visit www.covictim.org