By Joe Jeffrey
Effects of carbon monoxide poisoning highlighted in campaign
As National Camping and Caravanning Week (NCCW) continues to take to the road, a safety campaign has highlighted the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Organisers of the CO – Be Alarmed! campaign, which was launched in 2008 with the aim of working to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, have provided a list of simple rules to ensure your holiday is both safe and fun, so read on below to ensure you and yours are safe this summer.
Be Alarmed! – Pack an audible CO alarm. Alarms cost about £20 and are available from DIY stores, supermarkets and many high street shops as well as online;
Safety Service – Make sure any holiday appliances, cookers and heaters are working properly and have them serviced regularly;
Enjoy Fresh Air – Don’t use gas cookers and barbeques in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces and never bring a BBQ into a tent or caravan.
Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide:?headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse, loss of consciousness
Carbon monoxide has no colour, taste or smell and it can be produced by gas or petrol burning appliances that aren’t working properly or are being used in spaces without enough ventilation; this can lead to poisoning. Carbon Monoxide symptoms can be mistaken for a cold. In some cases poisoning can lead to permanent brain damage, potentially this can be fatal.
Spokesperson for CO – Be Alarmed! Campaign, Lawrence Slade, has also expressed the need for caravanners to take an audible CO alarm with them when setting off on their travels, saying: “Our campaign works to raise awareness of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. We are urging people to protect themselves from Carbon Monoxide. Buy an audible CO alarm, bring it with you, it can save your life.”
