Increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in our homes.
There is an absolute link to the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and the cold weather. Not only are we using more sources of heating products but we are also using them for prolonged periods of time. Many households keep their heating on over night so therefore the risk is greater.
Gas, coal and oil burning appliances being among the most common heating source in our homes.
The risk of carbon monoxide being released into our atmosphere is generally quite low when we make sure that our heating sources (boilers) are being serviced. Normally the release of carbon monoxide is because of a failure in a system so having them regularly serviced and inspections will reduce this risk.
Make sure that carbon monoxide detectors are also in place as this will give early detection and alert to your family in the same way as a fire alarm will. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that is odourless and tasteless which can make you very unwell or can even kill you if you do not leave the property to fresh air as soon as possible.
Carbon monoxide detectors can be bought from most hardware stores or speak to your gas/oil engineer.
Make sure that a carbon monoxide detector is installed into your property (or rental). There is a test button you can use to make sure it is functioning correctly this needs to be done regularly, do it at the same time as your fire detector.
If it is battery operated, it will bleep to let you know to change the battery’s, this needs to be done as soon as possible, don’t just take the batteries out to silence it and not replace them, remember it is a lifesaving devise!
Make sure that annual services are being conducted on your boilers by a competent, qualified and registers engineers (Gas Safe registered).
If you have a log burner make sure that the flue is swept and that any vents are not covered, blocked or dirty.
Other things to look out for especially with your gas boiler:
Which homes are more susceptible to carbon monoxide risks?
Caravans, boats and mobile homes are often overlooked when it comes to exposure of carbon monoxide due to the many portable appliances that may be used, again it is important that these are also serviced and check regularly and again ventilation is so important especially due to the smaller accommodation size.
Any home that has gas or oil boiler, open or closed fire places is susceptible so it is important to understand the risks and make sure that the rooms are ventilated appropriately. In the cold weather it might be tempting to run your car in the garage to warm it and you up before your journey, remember the emissions will also produce carbon monoxide so don’t do this without the garage doors being open. If you have a portable generator as well make sure this is run in fresh air at least 25 feet away from any open windows or doors.
What are the health hazards?
When you breath in carbon monoxide it enters your bloodstream and mixes with your haemoglobin the part of the red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body. Therefore, your blood can no longer get oxygen around your body and this then causes the bodies cells and tissues to fail and die.
It is so important to have early recognition of carbon monoxide poisoning as you can recover from it but the longer you are in an atmosphere with carbon monoxide the more serious the outcome. This can lead to long-term health issues or death.
According to the NHS at least 60 people die every year due to preventable carbon monoxide poisoning.
For more information on how to protect yourselves at home and at work from carbon monoxide get in touch.
www.saraquaylesafety.co.uk as seen in the Metro.co.uk to read the article click here https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/10/this-is-why-the-risk-of-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-increases-in-winter-14058090/
info@iesafetytraining.com
