CO Alert
In October 2006, two young children, Robert and Christianne Shepherd, died in their hotel room during a family holiday. The subsequent investigation determined that their deaths had been the result of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.
CO is dubbed the 'silent killer' due to of its odourless, colourless nature. One major problem when detecting CO is that the symptoms of CO poisoning - headache, drowsiness, feelings of nausea, dizziness and unexplained weakness - are all common symptoms that could be attributed to a number of other illnesses such as a cold or flu.
CO is a product of the incomplete combustion of organic fossil fuels (oil, gas, wood). Normally, the combustion process produces Carbon Dioxide, rather than Carbon Monoxide, but a lack of air (such as that caused by a blocked flue or poorly ventilated space) leads to incomplete combustion and CO production.
CO poisoning kills dozens of people in the UK each year and affects thousands more. A recent survey conducted by Kidde Safety Europe revealed two thirds (68%) of Britons admit to knowing little or nothing about CO.
Following this statistic Kidde have now launched an awareness campaign to raise peoples awareness of the risks.
An audible alarm has been developed by Kidde which measures CO levels in the air over time to ensure that if there is a sudden CO release, such as when a boiler or gas fire is started, it does not sound as a release of CO at such a time is not hazardous.
Organisations and workplaces need to be aware of the dangers of CO, as this issue has not been given the proper consideration to date.
© Copyright 2011 Means Of Escape Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2011 Think Agency - Website Designers Kent