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Prevention
How to Protect Against Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
What the public should know:
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National Gas Emergency Services Helpline (National Grid plc) Tel 0800 111999 - But please note that the National Gas Emergency Service does not carry equipment to test for CO - like sending someone out to trace radioactivity without a Geiger counter.
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Have your appliances properly installed and regularly serviced by qualified installers. With gas this means Gas Safe Registered. Ask about training and experience - it’s YOUR money and YOUR life. Ensure that your gas fitter is not only Gas Safe Registered but also qualified to work on that appliance and uses a flue gas analyser to check for the silent killer, CO-Gas. You can check the individual's ID number with the Gas Safe Register (http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/) to make sure he or she is qualified to undertake work on particular appliances (e.g. gas fires not just boilers).
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Chimneys and flues must be swept regularly and appliances checked once a year by a fully qualified engineer/sweep.
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Do not block vents. Make sure you have some ventilation and wear extra clothes/ bedclothes to keep warm.
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Portable heaters using combustible fuels have been responsible for some recent deaths from CO. We urge that if there is no other alternative and a portable appliances has to be used, the greatest care is taken to ensure the following:
1. Adequate ventilation.
2. A CO detector with an audible alarm to EN50291is used in the same room.
3. Children or vulnerable people are never let alone with such an appliance.
4. The appliance is never left on while anyone is sleeping in the room or house or etc. where the portable appliance is present.
- Electric fan heaters are safer with regard to Carbon Monoxide.
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As an extra safeguard buy a Carbon Monoxide detector alarm to European Standards EN50291. A battery operated CO alarm to European Standards is especially useful to take with you abroad.
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Beware that low levels of CO exposure over a long period can cause brain damage. Doctors can mistake CO symptoms for ‘flu or other common conditions so insist on a test for CO. Please note that some doctors’ surgeries have equipment, (sometimes called a Smokelysler or ToxCo), to analyse breath for CO. This is easy, painless and gives an instant result. If this shows CO, a blood test may be required. However, there are also other toxins in the products of combustion (see 'Other toxins' on the left hand side of this page) and a CO alarm will not protect you from these nor will the NHS generally test for them.
But remember that fresh air quickly reduces CO in a live body so, unless breath or blood is taken at the scene, in the ambulance or within 24 hours or so, a test may not show CO, even when CO has poisoned.
However, the other toxins stay in the body for days, weeks, months and possibly years so see under 'Other Toxins' for more information.
Doctor John Henry, then Consultant Physician at the National Poisons Units, surveyed 200 General Practitioners. He sent them symptoms of CO poisoning. Although many sensible suggestions were made, not one GP suggested CO as a cause of these symptoms.
Hyperbaric Oxygen, (i.e. Under pressure) can prevent lasting damage.
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