AN awareness campaign has been launched to alert Liverpool residents about the dangers of the ‘silent killer’ – carbon monoxide – in homes.
Annual gas safety checks by registered engineers and the installation of CO detectors are being urged by the city council's Healthy Homes team.
It says it has identified 77 cases of potential carbon monoxide poisoning in the city in recent years.
Nationally, between 1995 and 2011, 622 deaths were caused by CO poisoning. There were also 4148 incidents of non-fatal CO poisoning, 2.188 of which required hospital treatment.
Carbon monoxide is odourless and invisible. It can be produced in any fuel-burning appliance including cookers, heaters, gas tumble dryers, hot water heaters and gas, coal and log fires.
Danger signs include yellow or orange flames where there should normally be blue ones and sooty stains on walls around fires and water heaters.
Flues
Anyone can be poisoned by carbon monoxide however children, the elderly, people with anaemia and those with heart or lung diseases are at particular risk, Pregnant women risk damage to their unborn child from carbon monoxide.
Information about the dangers of carbon monoxide is being advertised and thermometers with awareness information are being distributed at community health events and the Winter Survival road shows.
It is essential to have boilers and fossil fuel burning appliances regularly serviced by a registered engineer at least once a year. Flues should be checked to make sure they’re not blocked.
Every home should have a British Standards Kite-marked audible CO alarm. However, installation of an alarm should not replace regular inspections and servicing of appliances.
