Campaign group highlights risk of carbon monoxide poisoning

ALMOST 70 per cent of people in Yorkshire could be at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning because they do not have an audible detector in their home, according to new research from a safety campaign group.

The Carbon Monoxide – Be Alarmed! campaign warns of the dangers of the odourless gas and is backed by Huddersfield woman Stacey Rodgers, whose son Dominic died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2004.

Dominic, who was 10, died in his sleep when gas from a neighbour's faulty boiler seeped into his bedroom.

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The research also highlights the case of a mother and daughter from Sheffield who, for six months, blamed a recurrent cough and regular headaches and tiredness on the stresses of work.

When their carbon monoxide alarm went off in March 2009, however, Nadia Jennings was rung by her 15-year-old daughter and told her to ring their local handyman. He went around immediately and switched the gas off and opened all the windows and doors. If it was not for the alarm, he said, the family may not have made it through the night.

Campaigners say that people in Yorkshire seem to be apathetic or just too busy to get an audible alarm but are stressing it could just be the thing to save a life.

Richard Arnold, a former GMTV presenter whose friend narrowly avoided death from carbon monoxide, is also backing the campaign. He said: "I'm shocked at how few people realise the risks of carbon monoxide.

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"My friend tragically fell unconscious in the bath after her boiler became faulty, which could have happened to any of us.

"Every single household should get an alarm installed – it's the only way to be sure of detecting this silent killer."

In order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in the first place, experts say everyone should get their gas boiler, oven, hob and any other fuel-burning appliances serviced by a professional engineer every year. Fewer than half the people in Yorkshire surveyed by the campaign have had one or the other of these serviced in the past 12 months.

Campaigners are also calling for a change in the law to make it compulsory for landlords to offer a CO alarm to tenants in order to receive their gas certificate.

And householders are urged to fit an alarm, have appliances tested annually, and not block ventilation.

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