Beware of the silent killer in our homes

WE are all acutely aware of the dangers of domestic fires. For that reason, the majority of properties are now fitted with smoke alarms.

But perhaps we sometimes forget that carbon monoxide also poses a huge threat in our homes. Against that backdrop, the experience of the Sherlock family in Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, amounts to a very cautionary tale indeed.

Picture the scene. Members of a young family sit down on a Friday night to watch a film together. What could be more normal? In hundreds of thousands of households across the country, a similar scene will have been unfolding.

Yet it very nearly ended in tragedy in this instance. All the signs indicate that six of the Sherlock clan, including parents Priscilla and Coleman, suffered carbon monoxide poisoning that rendered them unconscious.

Had it not been for the fact that their 13year-old son Evan woke up feeling unwell and unable to breathe, the reality is everyone could have perished. Thankfully he managed to rouse the other members of the family.

Better late than never, council staff have now installed carbon monoxide alarms in the house. But this entire episode should serve as a reminder to us all that we are talking here about a highly noxious gas that is a potential killer in every home.

Protecting ourselves from its dangers is a simple and relatively cheap exercise. All it involves is getting an alarm fitted and, once that is done, ensuring that it is properly maintained and in full working order at all times.

Even for people on modest incomes, buying one of these alarms shouldn’t represent a massive outlay. And the plain truth is that it could save your life – and the lives of your loved ones as well.