Supporting Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month
Posted: 01 Nov, 2018
November is Northern Ireland’s Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month and SGN Natural Gas fully supports the safety messages highlighted during this campaign by the Health and Safety Executive which aims to help protect the public from the dangers of CO.
There many sources of CO, including any wood, oil or gas fuelled appliances. CO is a potentially deadly gas as you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It is important to be aware of the risks and stay safe, especially during winter when we all rely on home heating more than the rest of the year.
The best way for people to protect themselves and others is to make sure all their fuel burning appliances are serviced at least annually by a registered engineer. You will find a Gas Safe engineer in your area here.
It is also essential to install an audible carbon monoxide alarm and remember to check regularly to ensure it is working properly.
The campaign also urges people to recognise the symptoms of CO poisoning and follow this guide:
There many sources of CO, including any wood, oil or gas fuelled appliances. CO is a potentially deadly gas as you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It is important to be aware of the risks and stay safe, especially during winter when we all rely on home heating more than the rest of the year.
The best way for people to protect themselves and others is to make sure all their fuel burning appliances are serviced at least annually by a registered engineer. You will find a Gas Safe engineer in your area here.
It is also essential to install an audible carbon monoxide alarm and remember to check regularly to ensure it is working properly.
The campaign also urges people to recognise the symptoms of CO poisoning and follow this guide:
- Make sure boilers and fuel-burning appliances are serviced annually by a registered engineer.
- Get chimneys inspected annually and swept if required by a registered technician.
- Check for warning signs if appliances aren’t working correctly – for example, lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.
- Learn about the six signs of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness.
- Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm as a back-up safety measure to alert you if carbon monoxide is in your home.
If you smell gas or you are worried about gas safety, phone the Northern Ireland Gas Emergency number on 0800 002 001.
For further information on steps to follow, please also visit the Safety section on our website.