Tag: CO

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Charity

Posted on by Alun

coawareness-logoMy name is Lynn Griffiths. You will properly be unaware I even exist so please allow me to introduce myself.

  • From 1988 – 1999 My family and I were poisoned by carbon monoxide for over a decade.
  • From 1999 – 2005 I became carbon monoxide aware and made some great contacts in the UK and America.
  • From 2005 – 2014 I worked long hours unpaid as President of the charity “Carbon Monoxide Awareness.”

I have spend the last 26+ years either being poisoned by carbon monoxide or trying to prevent what my family and I went through/are still going through from happening to someone else either living/working here in the UK.

  • I know what it’s like to be a victim of carbon monoxide.
  • I know what it’s like to be poisoned by carbon monoxide and have nobody to turn to for help, support or advice.
  • I know what it’s like to get misdiagnosed by a doctor as suffering from the flu, a virus etc.
  • I know what it’s like to have carbon monoxide cause long term and permanent health problems with debilitating effects to the sufferer.
  • I know what it’s like to love someone only to loose them and have to bring up a son aged three years and three others all of school age all alone.
  • I know what it’s like to try and get a school’s SENCO teacher to give your son the correct cognitive tests only to have your pleas fall on deaf ears.
  • I know what it’s like to pay for a gas service (annually) for over a decade only for a blocked flue to be missed over and over again.
  • I know what is like to care and understand.
  • I know what it’s like to work unpaid for long hours to try and prevent what happened to your family from happening to others.
  • I know what it’s like to nothave the support you so desperately need from several government ministers to help make a difference.
  • I know what it’s like to have no donations to help you continue with something you know  a little more than most about. This is all the charity has to survive: www.everyclick.com Should you know of any company looking for a charity of the year please ask them to think of us.

How many people living here in the UK today are still unaware they too could be suffering the effects of chronic carbon monoxide poisoning just like my family and I were without even knowing it?

Carbon monoxide incidents over the last 21 months have been rising faster than the charity has ever seen before. Please help us prevent ignorance from costing another person/family/colleague their life due to carbon monoxide poisoning.  Most of the charity’s posters and leaflets can be found on our website www.COvictim.org oron our main supporters website’s carrying their logo.

Info:

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Charity is an independent registered charity run entirely by unpaid volunteers.

Carbon Monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of any hydrocarbon fuel. Examples: Coal, Charcoal, Wood, Oil, Petrol, Diesel, Natural Gas and LPG etc.

Most people are not aware:

  • The World Health Organisation recommendations advise people shouldn’t be exposed to more than just SIX PPM of Carbon Monoxide over 24-hours
  • The NICE 2013 guidelines for Carbon Monoxide poisoning emphasises that NOT finding the source of exposure does NOT exclude it ?

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week runs Monday 17th November to Sunday 23rd November 2014. Please add this date to your diary and if you can pledge your support to the charity by giving a little of your valuable time to help the charity educate those living in a community near you about the danger of carbon monoxide from all fuels.

For more info on the charity’s 9th National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week please click here: http://covictim.org/articles/details/pledge-your-support-to-charity-s-9th-national-carbon-monoxide-awareness-week–

If you can help the charity launch a national campaign to help save lives or prevent injury from something you can’t touch, taste, see, hear or smell please contact Lynn via the charity’s website.

Industry giants lead the way to prevent further deaths from CO

Posted on by Alun

CO-2014-email-Banner-v3The UK’s four main gas industry networks have joined forces to deliver this year’s carbon monoxide conference Knowledge is Power. Every year in the UK, 40 preventable deaths occur due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Knowledge is Power, hosted by The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), aims to reduce this number to zero.

Following on from the unmitigated success of last year’s landmark Carbon Monoxide: Ignorance Can Be Fatal event, this year’s conference will bring together the ‘Big Four’ gas distribution firms alongside hundreds of industry stakeholders, from emergency service personnel to charity cam
paigners.

Speaking on behalf of the Big Four, a spokesperson said: “Following the success of last year’s conference, we are delighted to join together as a group to deliver this year’s conference.

“Much progress has been made over the last 12 months and we look forward to sharing this with delegates, in addition to working together to tackle an element we are all passionate about – converting awareness to action.

“Through quality research, continued industry collaboration and openness to new innovation we believe we can really make a difference as we continue our efforts to stop the silent killer.”

Supported by the Carbon Monoxide All Actions Forum; the event takes place at the Queens Elizabeth Conference Centre II in London, on July 9th. It will highlight the latest research, education and innovation technology in the fight against CO poisoning.

Steve Miller, Chair of the CO All Fuels Action Forum, said: “The Forum was developed out of a desire to see more collaborative ways of acting on carbon monoxide poisoning. As such, we are really thrilled to be supporting IGEM and all the gas distribution networks to host a second national carbon monoxide conference.”

Fronting the conference will be Baroness Finlay, Barry Sheerman MP and industry representatives from Gas Safety Register, PHE, HETAS, EIC and many more.

The conference aims to meet the needs of every industry involved in the safe utilisation of fuels, from fire safety chiefs to medical professionals, scientists, community workers and housing groups, helping them to mitigate the risks of carbon monoxide now and in the future.

IGEM Technical Services Manager Keith Needham said: “Last year, our focus was to bring together for the first time all those in industry, supporting agencies, representatives from related organisations and charity groups to raise awareness of CO.

“A series of objectives were set following the conference that, when completed, would have a significant impact on deaths and injuries through CO poisoning.

“We in this country benefit from one of the safest gas networks in the world. Our behaviour towards the use of gas through our appliances and how these are maintained has to change. So this year we are demonstrating that knowledge really is power and that by equipping ourselves with the tools to keep homes and businesses safe, everyone has a role to play in preventing deaths and injuries from CO. It’s great to have the full backing of the four industry gas distribution networks on such an important issue.

“Every death or injury from carbon monoxide poisoning is 100 per cent preventable. Now is the time to spread this crucial message.”

For your opportunity to get raise your profile and join the big debate contact Julie Adcock on 01509 678161 or email Julie@igem.org.uk. To book your FREE place click here.