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Awareness-raising events planned for CO Awareness Week

12 November 2008

Five million people in the UK, including approximately 500,000 here in the North West, are at risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in their homes from faulty boilers and dysfunctional gas, coal and oil-burning appliances. To raise awareness of these dangers, two major events will be organised in the North West Region during Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week.

The first event will be held in the Gujarat Hindu Centre, South Meadow Lane, Preston, on Tuesday 18 November. This will take the form of a workshop for healthcare professionals and other agencies that have responsibility for CO risk reduction and emergency responses.

It will bring together 100 representatives from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the emergency services, hospital Accident & Emergency staff, representatives of the Health & Safety Executive, Public Health staff from Primary Care Trusts and environmental health, housing and other local authority officers. 

Dr. John Reid, Director of the HPA's Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Unit who will introduce the workshop, said: "We will be aiming to strengthen the way we work together in raising awareness of CO risks, developing surveillance and responding to incidents."

Details will be given at the workshop of an initiative to provide frontline HPA employees with a carbon monoxide Action Card that will list the steps to be taken to ensure that a complete risk assessment is carried out and appropriate actions are taken following a poisoning incident.

Advice has already been prepared for the region's GPs and hospital Accident & Emergency staff and will be distributed in the course of the next week. 

The second event of CO Awareness Week 2008 will be an open-access free-entry event in Liverpool Town Hall on the morning of Friday 21 November. No registration is required and anyone can drop in.

Lynn Griffiths, president and founder of the charity CO-Awareness, said: "Our comprehensive programme is aimed at landlords or would-be landlords, health professionals, others who deliver public services, local and national politicians and, needless to say, the wider public.

"Lord McKenzie of Luton, Minister for Health and Safety in the Department for Work and Pensions, will fire the day into life with a review of national initiatives, including an explanation of the new scheme for registering gas fitters that will come into effect in the spring of next year.

"The key thing is that anyone can come along, listen to the presentations and have their questions answered. There will also be an opportunity to see RAD 57 in operation, a non-invasive monitor that checks blood within seconds for CO poisoning." 

Notes to Editors

Press release issued by Hugh Lamont, Communications Manager, NHS North West. Tel 0151-482-5728 or 07764-906508.

  • Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and has no taste. However there are sometimes indicators that may suggest a fault with domestic boilers or flues. The signs of trouble are black sooty marks on the radiants (bars above the gas flames) of gas fires, sooty marks on the wall around stoves, boilers or fires, smoke accumulating in rooms due to faulty flues and yellow instead of blue flames from gas appliances. If you see any of these signs, turn off the appliance, open your windows and have an appropriately registered engineer service the appliance as soon as possible.
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood and so starves vital organs of oxygen. As more carbon monoxide is breathed in, less oxygen can be carried in the blood and symptoms worsen. Reversal of symptoms occurs on breathing non-contaminated air or through the provision of 100% oxygen.
  • Symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, nausea / vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pains.
  • To reduce the risk, it is vital that people have their fossil (coal, gas and oil) fuel and wood burning appliances regularly serviced by a registered engineer.
  • In addition, the Agency is recommending that people should buy a British Standards Kitemarked audible CO alarm. However, the installation of an alarm should not replace regular inspections by a registered engineer.
  • Further information on carbon monoxide can be found at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1190384159835?p=1190384159835

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Last reviewed: 13 November 2008