Handyman Expert

9 Steps to Carbon Monoxide Safety

You can't see it, smell it or taste it.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is a subject that people know very little about. Not only can it kill you, it can cause permanent Neurological Damage in the longer term. In the short term, it can make you feel ill and inhibit your life potential.

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Here's what to do to protect yourself. Please read all of the 9 steps to the end, it may be that the following five minutes could save your life, or the life of someone else.

1. check the flame colour of your appliances, if it's orange you do have a problem. however, blue does not necessarily mean it'd safe. get yourappliances checked annually and get a co detector if unsure. you would not driveyour car without an mot. doing the same for your home is commen sense asyou spend most of your time there.

2. check the flue, is it blocked? do you have creeping plants growing up the walls? do you have birds nesting in the flue? completely remove the obstructions from the flue area and fit a guard to stop any birds nesting. get your flue checked! is it drawing properly? was it fitted correctly in the first place?

3. do you have a horizontal gas grill? they can be particularly hazardous. is yours working correctly? older appliances can be problematic. us the electric toaster instead. get your cooker checked.

4. is there adequate ventilation? check your air bricks or tricle vents. have you had double glazing fitted? if the appliances in your home do not have enough air they will produce carbon monoxide.

5. when were your appliances last checked? do it every year, don't leave it to chance. remember, the engineer can only check the conditions on the day tha he attends, get protection year round, fit a co detector with a low level alarm.

6. do you suffer from unexplained illnesses, fatigue, muscle pains, upset stomach, lethargy, dizziness, headaches? go to your doctor and get a cohb test, go directly from your house, don't go elsewhere as the co in your blood will deplete and may not be picked up.

7. are you a tenant? do you have a safety certificate? does your landlord annually check the appliances in your accommodation? (he must do this by law). has the engineer done a thorough check? how long was he in the house for? has your landlord fitted a co detector?

8. are you a landlord? have you been carrying out statutory checks? even if you have, you may be liable if one of your tenants becomes ill or even worse, dies. fit a detector for your own and your tenants piece of mind. as a lanflord, you have to shoe due diligence. if you are found guilty of neglect you may be fined or even sent to prison. could you live with the consequences for the rest of your life?

9. the most important thing that you can do to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning is to get a carbon monoxide detector alarm with a low level indicator. if you fit a detector you can at least be sure, having carried out all the above safety checks, that you are protected.