Calls for mandatory carbon monoxide testing in Wales
Swindon, Bristol, Wiltshire, Gwynedd, and Monmouthshire record the highest incident rates per 1,000 residents for CO incidents
As carbon monoxide awareness week (17 – 23 November) begin, Wales & West Utilities, is urging everyone to test their carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to protect themselves and their loved ones from the ‘silent killer’.
Recent figures across the company’s operating area - Wales and the south west of England - reveal worrying hotspots for carbon monoxide incidents.
The gas emergency and pipeline service is reporting that the areas with the highest numbers of confirmed and suspected cases are Swindon, Bristol, Wiltshire, Cardiff, and Somerset.
At the same time, Swindon, Bristol, Wiltshire, Gwynedd, and Monmouthshire record the highest incident rates per 1,000 residents.
Emma Jackson-Phillips, from Bridgend father, Fred, died at just 52 years old after being overcome by carbon monoxide while working away from home in Cornwall.
“Dad was extremely healthy - a vibrant man with a lot of get-up-and-go.
“He thought he just had a flu-type bug. When he didn’t turn up for breakfast, a colleague called his room and he said he wasn’t feeling good but would take a shower and come down soon. Sadly, he never made it.
"My dad’s death, like too many others, was entirely preventable."
“Had an audible CO alarm been present in his room, it would have alerted him to act - and he’d still be with us today.”
Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ and symptoms of CO poisoning can be mistaken for food poisoning and the flu, due to their similarities, which can include headaches, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, shortness of breath and, in extreme cases, loss of consciousness.
The most significant source of exposure to carbon monoxide for the general public is from cooking or other fuel burning appliances, such as home boilers and log burners.
The risks of carbon monoxide poisoning increase if these appliances are poorly installed, faulty or used inappropriately without adequate ventilation and maintenance.
"I don’t want anyone to go through what we have.”
Now a mother of two, Emma says the loss only grows harder as the years go by.
“I want CO alarms to have the same prominence as smoke alarms. A CO alarm costs around £15 - a small price to pay to save a life.
"Whether at home, in a hotel, or in a caravan, please make sure you have one. I don’t want anyone to go through what we have.”
For more information, resources, and safety advice, visit here.