CO Awareness Week

The annual Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week commences on Monday 18th November and runs through until Sunday 24th November. The national event was started by CO-Awareness, a registered charity founded by Lynn Griffiths nearly nine years ago. CO-Awareness is a registered charity that supports the many victims of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning and other products of combustion (POC), their families and friends. The charity  campaigns for the greater awareness to the dangers of carbon monoxide and other products of combustion associated with the burning of gas, oil, coal and wood. Additionally the charity campaigns for changes in the legislation covering the manufacture, installation and servicing of appliances burning the above fuels and lobby the Government and Industry to improve safety and raise awareness.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an extremely poisonous gas that can be present in the fumes from the combustion of fuel’s which aren’t burnt under the correct conditions. Fuels such as gas, oil,  solid mineral fuel and biomass all have the potential to emit CO. The gas cannot be seen, smelled or tasted making it difficult to detect. find out more about the signs, symptoms and actions to take by clicking here.

For the 2013 National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week you can join people, organisations and businesses of all sizes to help raise awareness of the danger of carbon monoxide. You can be part of the campaign in many ways. Some of the aims of the charity and the campaign include:

• To raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide.
• To make the public aware: All hydrocarbon fuel (charcoal, wood, oil, petrol, diesel, natural gas, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) appliances need to be serviced regularly.
• Homeowners (with gas appliances) can apply for a “free gas safety check via their gas provider” if they are on a qualifying benefit.
• To make the pubic aware: Their chimney needs to be swept regularly.
• Promote the charity’s FREE Carbon Monoxide Android Phone App & NEW website (see below)
• To make sure the public understand a carbon monoxide alarm is NEVER a substitute for the correct installation or servicing of ANY gas, oil, wood or coal burning appliances. The World Health Organisation recommendations advise that people should not be exposed to more than SIX parts per million over a 24-hour period.
• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in the correct place. More & more people are fitting/or advising people to fit their carbon monoxide alarms in the wrong place.

A range of safety and awareness  posters are available from CO Awareness along with a downloadable CO Awareness app. Contact Lynn directly on 07715 899296 or email LynnCoAwareness@aol.com to find out more. You can also find out more about the charity and donate on their website at www.covictim.org.

There are a number of organisations and charities who, along with HETAS, are committed to raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide and CO safety, you can find out more about these organisations by clicking here.