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Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas, which can be emitted from any faulty heating or cooking appliance, petrol generator, or vehicle engine. CO can be emitted from any appliance burning combustible fuel e.g. Gas (mains or bottled), solid fuel (coal, wood, etc) petrol, oil or paraffin etc. CO cannot be sensed using human senses. Special equipment, such as a flue gas analyser, is needed to test appliances and/or the air in a room for CO. CO can poison in tiny amounts because it is taken up in preference to oxygen by the haemoglobin (the oxygen carrying part) in the blood. Less than 2% of CO in the air can kill in two minutes (see HSE website Para 74 Table 23 http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid/spc/spctosd30.pdf)
Low level exposure of CO over a long period can cause brain and neurological damage.
People should also be aware that there are other toxins in fuels (mercury, manganese, nickel , benzene etc.). See under Other Toxins and under Prevention under Blood tests on the right hand side. Please note that urine tests are now available for these toxins which unlike CO, stay in the body for days, weeks, months and we suspect even years. NHS doesn't usually offer them but these can be undertaken privately at around £100 to £200. References to documents on the Internet (for example from the Environmental Protection Agency of the USA) are on this website. Further more up to date information can be obtained from us direct. However, you are warned that no case seems yet to have been brought (or at least succeeded) with regard to fuel containing these other toxins. Also, proof of these other toxins in your body does not prove where or how you were exposed to them.
FREE Schools Poster Competition 2009/10 - Exciting prizes for you and your school!
Click here for details...
| The prize giving event for the 2008/9 was held at the House of Lords at the Cholmondeley Room on Tuesday 26th January 2010. We also presented prizes to the winners of the pilot project brilliantly run by Heather Tomlinson. We also marked the 15th anniversary of the charity, CO-Gas Safety. This was very well attended by about 100 people. |
The aim of this poster competition is to raise awareness of the silent killer, carbon monoxide poisoning and how to prevent it and thereby save lives and preserves health. CO-Gas Safety had been lobbying for years for funding for prime time TV warnings (like the anti-smoking and fire warnings) but as there seemed no chance of this, Stephanie Trotter thought up the cost effective schools poster competition to raise awareness of pupils, their families and schools. The poster competition is for pupils in their last year of state primary school (Year 6, i.e. aged 10-11).
The competition is now in its THIRD SUCCESSFUL YEAR. Read more...
IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING ON LEISURE & FLAVEL GAS COOKERS
Serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can be fatal.
CHECK HERE TO SEE IF YOU OWN ONE OF THE AFFECTED COOKERS.
IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING ON CAMPING GAS LAMPS
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SAD DEATH OF PAUL GRIFFITHS AGED 43 WHO DIED FROM CO FROM ONE OF THESE LAMPS IN 2009.
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You cannot see it, smell it or taste it but Carbon Monoxide (CO) can kill you. The elderly and young are at higher risk than healthy adults. They also spend more time at home..
As an extra safeguard, you can buy Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms in any good home/DIY store.
CO-Gas Safety publishes on this site an alphabetical list of recorded deaths from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning since 1st September 1995. 
We are an independent registered charity with cross party support at the House of Commons and European parliament. we were founded by Molly Maher and Nigel Griffiths, MP.