RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

January 9, 2001
EXHIBITION TO WARN ABOUT "SILENT KILLER" IN EAST MIDLANDS

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents joins forces with the Government and Nottingham City Council today in an attempt to reduce the number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the East Midlands.

The East Midlands has one of the worst records for this "silent killer" in the UK, and Department of Trade and Industry research has shown that people in the region are not aware of the problem.

RoSPA and the City Council will staff a DTI exhibition at the Victoria shopping centre, Nottingham, from today until Friday (January 12) to raise awareness. The campaign was launched today by Dr Kim Howells, Consumer Affairs Minister, supported by John Howard, RoSPA Director of Safety Policy.

Sarah Colles, RoSPA Home Safety Adviser, said: "There is still a lot of work to be done to alert everyone to the dangers of carbon monoxide. In a 10-year period, 57 people in the East Midlands died as a result of poisoning from faulty heating appliances or poor ventilation in their homes. Most of these deaths could have been avoided if people were more aware of the dangers of this silent killer."

Each year around 50 people in the UK die after being poisoned by fumes caused by faulty heating appliances. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless, poisonous gas which is produced when any fossil fuel is does not burn properly.

There is a risk of poisoning if equipment is faulty, if there is a lack of ventilation in a room or when a chimney or flue gets blocked.

Appliances which burn fossil fuels, such as gas, coal or wood, should be checked annually for safety by a professional. Gas appliances must be checked by a CORGI registered engineer and chimneys expertly cleaned. Ventilation must be maintained at all times.

Warning signs to look out for include: Gas flames, which normally burn blue, burning orange or yellow; sooty stains on or near appliances; coal or wood fires that burn slowly or go out; people suffering from prolonged flu-like symptoms.