There is a danger that you can’t see, smell, or taste. Yet Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be lethal.

This may seem very frightening, and the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning is very real. However, there are some simple ways to keep yourself and your family safe.

Carbon Monoxide has the chemical formula of CO. This chemical compound is produced in situations where a fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. Although carbon monoxide is a very common by-product of combustion (burning), excess amounts pose a health threat, and at high levels, CO can be fatal.

Warning Signs of High CO Levels
Here are some indicators that your home could be polluted with unsafe levels of CO

• Stains, soot around a gas fire, water heater or boiler
• Increased condensation inside your windows
• An appliance that burns with a yellow or orange flame instead of a blue one

Signs of CO Poisoning
At very high levels, CO poisoning can be fatal. At lower levels, the effects still present a great health problem and common symptoms include nausea, sickness, headaches, stomach pain, general tiredness, and fatigue.

The problem is that carbon monoxide poisoning shares many of its symptoms with the common flu, which can make it easy to misdiagnose. However, CO poisoning does not improve on its own the way a flu does. In fact, people who have mistaken CO poisoning for the flu will often find that their symptoms increase in severity since they sequester themselves in their homes.

If you suspect that you have carbon monoxide poisoning, it is vital that obtain medical attention immediately.

Play if Safe

• Open windows and doors – leave the house!
• Seek fresh air immediately
• Go to an emergency room and inform a doctor that you may be suffering from CO poisoning

Preventing the Possibility of CO Poisoning

• Have every gas appliance serviced each year by a ‘Gas Safe’ (Corgi) -registered engineer
• Install a carbon monoxide detector with an audible warning signal
  
• Ensure that your appliances are well maintained and in good repair.

Prevention for Renters
Even if you live in a rented home, there are still steps that you can take to protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning. The power is in your hands.

The first step to request to see a Landlord’s Gas Safety Record. This record indicates which gas appliances in the house have been checked for safety in the past 12 months, and it is a legal requirement that your property owner provide you with this record.

For more information on CO and other home safety issues go to www.britishgassafety.co.uk