‘Silent killer’ warning to one in five UK homes

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Experts have issued a new warning about the dangers of carbon monoxide after a shock new study revealed that millions of people are dicing with death and at risk of being silently poisoned by their gas cookers, boilers or other carbon fuelled appliances.

The independent charity CO-Gas Safety estimate that as many one in five homes in Britain have dangerous levels of the colourless, odourless gas and less than 2% of CO in the air can kill in under 3 minutes or cause serious long-term injuries.*

It also found that one in seven people fail to have their gas boiler and appliance serviced every year and a worrying number have never had them checked. The lack of awareness is of huge concern because unless carbon fuelled appliances are serviced regularly and chimneys and flues swept, it is likely they will emit carbon monoxide into the living space which you can’t sense with human senses.

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The new research reveals that while more than 80 per cent of people say they have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted, more than half have no idea if it is working because they don’t check and a third have simply taken out the batteries if it starts beeping.

Survivor of CO poisoning Sue Westwood-RutledgeSurvivor of CO poisoning Sue Westwood-Rutledge
Survivor of CO poisoning Sue Westwood-Rutledge

The findings come as CO Gas Safety launches a new call for the gas emergency service to have a duty to test the home and emissions from appliances rather than just turn everything off and leave people to get their own gas appliances serviced. There also needs to be raised awareness of the dangers and what to do to prevent them.

President Stephanie Trotter said: “The new research shows just how little people in the country know about the devastating dangers of this deadly gas.

“Regular servicing is vital to make sure your gas cooker or boiler is not slowly killing you. Our fear is that now energy bills have rocketed and older people have lost their heating allowance, many cannot afford to have them serviced.

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“Carbon monoxide alarms are a must too, but only if they are working. Also these alarms only alert you when the levels are dangerously high. Lower levels have been found to cause brain damage but still not be enough to trigger an alarm.”

In the UK, around 30 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year, and about 4,000 people are treated in A&E departments. [1] The true number is likely to be much higher as evidence in the bloodstream and breath of carbon monoxide disappears within hours.

Long-term low-level exposure to the toxic gas can have lasting and life-limiting consequences including brain damage and heart problems.

Various household appliances - from gas cookers/boilers to wood burning stoves - can give off CO gas that starves the body of oxygen causing headaches, dizziness and confusion among other symptoms.

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The new study found that nearly three-quarters of Brits would fail to take the right action if they heard a CO alarm sound – and get out of the house immediately.

More than a third of Brits believe low-level exposure of CO is fine to live with, while two-thirds said they were unaware it can lead to heart problems and hearing loss.

Two-thirds of Brits in the study were unaware that wood burners or water heaters can cause a CO leak, while only a quarter knew barbecues could pose a similar risk.

CO-Gas Safety is an independent, victim/survivor-based charity run almost entirely by volunteers including Stephanie Trotter.

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She said: “You can't see, smell, or taste it – yet within minutes, carbon monoxide can overwhelm your body's ability to process oxygen. This is why it is called the silent killer.

“It is vital everyone is vigilant and takes all precautions possible. And we need to have much more stringent testing procedures.

“The most recent scientific studies have found that a shocking 20 per cent of homes in Britain are likely to have harmful amounts of carbon monoxide. It’s terrifying.”

And Stephanie warned: "If you're experiencing symptoms and suspect CO exposure, don't wait to see if they improve. Less than two per cent concentration in the air can kill within minutes. Get outside immediately and call 999. You are not being overcautious.

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“One of the most telling signs of CO poisoning is when multiple people in the same building develop similar symptoms. If everyone in your household feels unwell, has a headache or feels dizzy, it is unlikely to be a coincidence - it is a red flag that demands immediate action. Sometimes different members of the family have different symptoms but they could be CO. Get outside and see if that helps.’

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