Carbon Monoxide Can Be Deadly.

Risks it poses in the home.

Every year in the UK more than 4,000 people die in accidents in the home and

 nearly three million turn up at accident and emergency departments seeking treatment. But, because the accidents happen behind closed doors in isolated

 incidents they rarely attract public and media attention. However there are three

 main categories of accident which account for approximately two-thirds (67%) of

 all home accidents.

Symptoms and science of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Reports by the Consumer Information Centre and the American Lung Association, when CO is present in the air, it rapidly accumulates in the blood, causing symptoms similar to the flu, such as:

• headaches,
• fatigue,
• nausea,
• dizziness,
• confusion and
• Breathing difficulty.  

CO poisoning often causes a victim’s blood pressure to rise. As a result, the skin may take on a pink or reddish colour. As CO levels increase in the bloodstream, vomiting, loss of consciousness and eventually brain damage or death can result. Because the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those of the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses, people do not tend to think of CO poisoning as a possible cause for their ailments.

Methods of detecting and alerting people to the presence of carbon monoxide.

First battery powered co decors were made possible by using a optical dectictin technique based on colour chemistry however because this type of sensor continually absorbs even a very low level of co that are always in the air it is difficult to obtain a reliable base line from which to measure the concentration of gas present.

Recommendations for protecting your family.

When temperatures drop, people close their windows tight and turn on the heat for warmth,if your furnace, water heater, stove or other fuel-burning appliances are not burning fuel completely and there isn't sufficient ventilation, you could be exposed to CO. One way to protect yourself and your family is to install UL-Listed CO alarms. They're designed to detect elevated levels of CO and sound an alarm to alert you and your family of a potential poisoning risk.