Archives: April 2011

Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be very difficult to detect,  often they can be confused with that of food poisoning, flu, viral infections or simple tiredness.

If you think you may have been at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning then it is essential you seek immediate medical attention, ask to be tested for CO poisoning, this test is usually a blood  test followed by an ECG but because carbon monoxide escapes the body quickly it is important to get the test done as soon as you become aware that you may have been exposed.

Symptoms to watch out for are tiredness, chest and or stomach pains, head aches and nausea, unusual behaviour and feeling dizzy, being sick and struggling with your eye site.  Higher levels of exposure will cause unconsciousness.

If you are found to have been exposed to carbon monoxide and have been poisoned you will be treated in hospital,  the treatment you would receive is 100% oxygen through a mask,  the air we breathe normally consists of around 20% oxygen.

carbon monoxide poisoning is the largest cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the UK and is responsible for more than 50 deaths per year.   Hundreds more are left brain damaged or seriously injured.

If poisoned with a very low level of carbon monoxide it is likely you will make a full recovery,  however up to 50% of   survivors with higher levels of carbon monoxide poisoning will be left with long term issues and problems can arise many years after being poisoned.

It is very difficult to detect carbon monoxide without a carbon monoxide alarm because it has no taste, colour or smell making it easy to breathe in without noticing.

Carbon monoxide is a risk in your home because it is produced by either gas, coal, wood and oil when they do not burn properly and there is a lack of ventilation.

For example an open house fire burning wood in an enclosed room without ventilation causes the oxygen to be used up and replaced with carbon dioxide,  Once all of the oxygen has been used up the fire will be starved of oxygen and will not burn correctly,  this then causes carbon monoxide to be created.

To protect you and your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning make sure you are aware of the dangers and take preventative action.

For all hose hold appliances that run on gas including your central heating system and boiler ensure that regular servicing is carried out and a certificate obtained.  Ensure that all maintenance work is carried out and that the engineer who carries out the work is gas safety registered.

For open fires in the home make sure that your chimney is swept regularly, at least once a year is recommended but more frequently will not harm.  Chimney sweeps should be registered with either NACS, GMS or OFTEC  In addition you should make sure that rooms are well ventilated.

Do not leave petrol powered machines or vehicles running in a garage

Make sure that you have a carbon monoxide alarm

As summer approaches, it is often the case that your mind is focused on outdoor activities, holidays or gardening.

While this is of course completely natural it is still very important to remember that home and family security should still be an important factor not to forget. Incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning remain high throughout the summer months but this is also a time when sales of the important carbon monoxide alarm fall, indicating the matter maybe far from ones mind.

Although you may not be using your central heating system quite so often, it is this system that is responsible for providing your home with hot water so is still active. Cookers, ovens and other gas supplied home appliances are also highly likely to still be in use and therefore also capable of creating the highly toxic deadly carbon monoxide gas otherwise known as the “silent killer”.

Do not let this matter slip from your mind, ensure your home is fitted with an adequate carbon monoxide alarm ideally every room should have an alarm but at least one per home is essential. It is also vital that your home heating system is checked and serviced by a qualified engineer or plumber, for around fifty to eighty pounds you should be able to get your boilerserviced and a certificate provided.

It is law for United Kingdom landlords to ensure a gas safety inspection and service is carried out on all residential properties and a certificate provided. This is to be done every single year and this will ensure that the central heating and gas appliances are working correctly and that their are no issues that could cause a leak creating the deadly carbon monoxide gas. If you have recently moved in to arental property your landlord must have the central heating system inspected and a brand new certificate provided for all ingoing tenants regardless if the year has passed.

symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms or food poisoning, If you are away from the source of the leak it maybe that your symptoms are reduced and you feel better, This is an indication that their could be a low to mid level leak which is likely to cause irreversible brain damage. If you suspect you or a family member may have been exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning, you must take everyone away from the source of the leak and into a well ventilated area. Seek immediate emergency medical care. Advise the engineers that you suspect a leak and they will take action to test and shut down the source of the gas. Do not return to the property until it is secure and all actions have been taken correctly. Ensure a fully functioning Carbon Monoxide Alarm is fitted and tested frequently. Do not confuse carbon monoxide alarms with smoke alarms! They DO NOT provide the same function and will not protect you and your family from the deadly carbon monoxide gas.

A megaphone or otherwise known as a loud hailer, speaking trumpet or blow horn is a hand held portable voice device used to amplify a persons voice in an area where it might otherwise not be heard. The first electric megaphone was invented in the 1950’s and the design has changed very little since.

usually used for sporting events, film sets and political events the megaphone has been a steady seller with many retail outlets, this year megaphone sales have almost doubled! could this be due to the recent increase in political protests around the country? Well we’re not sure but if you want one click here megaphone