Watch out for ‘silent killer’ in your home
HALTON Borough Council has supported Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week which aimed to help residents protect themselves from the ‘silent killer’.
Carbon monoxide has no smell, taste or colour and is produced by the incomplete burning of fuels by any appliance that is not properly fitted or maintained such as cookers, heaters, gas tumble dryers, hot water heaters and fireplaces.
Poisoning can be fatal or cause permanent health damage.
It can kill quickly without warning if gas appliances and flues have not been properly installed, maintained or are poorly ventilated.
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week aims to reduce the number of poisoning incidents, which cause around 40 deaths and 200 hospitalisations in England and Wales each year, as well as approximately 4,000 attendances to accident and emergency departments.
It also aims to help increase the number of ● homes with properly installed carbon monoxide alarms.
A Halton Council spokesman said that at present only one in two homes has a potentially life-saving alarm installed.
Danger signs include yellow or orange pilot light flames where there should be blue ones and sooty stains on or near appliances.
Other warnings to look out for are prolonged flulike symptoms suffered by all household members, excessive condensation in the room and slow burning coal or wood fires.
To reduce the risks: ● Have gas appliances serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. ● Use professionals to service any other fossilfuel burning appliances – such as oil or coal burning stoves – annually. ● Keep rooms well ventilated when using a heating or cooking appliance fuelled by gas, oil or solid fuels, and use the appliance correctly. ● Ensure flues are checked to make sure they are not blocked. ● Have chimneys swept at least once a year.
The spokesman said: “Every home should have a British Standards kitemarked audible carbon monoxide alarm and this should be maintained and replaced according to the instructions.
“However, installation of an alarm should not replace regular inspections and servicing of appliances and boilers by a registered engineer.
“Anyone can be poisoned by carbon monoxide. However, children, older people, people with anaemia and those with heart or lung diseases are at particular risk.
“Pregnant women risk damage to their unborn child from the gas.”
Seek immediate medical help at accident and emergency in the case of suspected poisoning, inform staff of what may have happened and request a blood test.
For more information visit http://covictim.org/ PARENTS in Halton are being urged to warn their children about the risk of playing near or misusing level crossings.
Network Rail has issued the warning after a survey at a level crossing in Cheshire and a second footpath level crossing nearby found that children were not using them safely.
A spokesman said that phtographs were taken between Friday, November 11, and Sunday, November 13, at Brookhouse Farm footpath level crossing between Alsager and Radway Green and clearly show a group of children using it ‘incorrectly’.
He added that there were two incidents in October where children were reported playing ‘chicken’ on the line at Alsager station and that there were near misses at Brookhouse Farm level crossing in June where three children were almost struck by a train.
Network Rail’s community safety manager, Nick Jordan, said: “We’re urging parents to make sure their children understand the dangers of trespassing on the railway and misusing level crossings.
“This recent near miss at Brookhouse Farm ● caught on camera misusing the crossing daylight
at night stationt ti l levell crossingi reinforces the need for young people to be educated on the dangers that exist.
“Britain has the safest railway in Europe but as the railway continues to gets busier we must continue to work even harder to keep young people safe by making them aware of the dangers that exist.”
For more details, visit www.networkrail.co.uk