RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
August 27, 2002
ROADSHOW HIGHLIGHTS NORTHERN IRELAND POISONING THREAT
People living in Northern Ireland are three times more likely to be killed by carbon monoxide poisoning than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents warned today.
To raise public awareness, a roadshow organised by RoSPA and co-ordinated locally by Environmental Health Departments, will be making stops throughout the province in September in a bid to cut deaths and poisoning incidents.
Each year in the UK around 50 people die and a further 150 go to hospital after being poisoned by fumes caused by faulty heating appliances. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless, poisonous gas that is produced when any fossil fuel is burned.
Janice Bisp, RoSPA Home Safety Manager, Northern Ireland, said: “There is still a lot of work to be done to alert everyone to the threat of this silent killer. Most deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning could have been avoided.
“Two thirds of Northern Ireland’s fatalities are related to solid fuel. After recent torrential rains, chimneys could have become blocked by soot, increasing the likelihood of poisonous fumes leaking into a room when a fire is lit.”
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 oil, coal, gas 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: coal or wood fires that burn slowly or go out; oil boilers that are not functioning well; gas flames, which normally burn blue, burning orange or yellow; sooty stains on or near appliances; and people suffering from prolonged flu-like symptoms.
Roadshow stops are: Sep 5 – Bloomfield Shopping Centre, Bangor; Sep 6 – Ards Shopping Centre, Newtownards; Sep 10 – Cookstown Leisure Centre, Cookstown; Sep 11 – Larne Leisure Centre Foyer, Larne; Sep 12 – Old Court House, Antrim; Sep 16 – Strabane (to be confirmed); Sep 17 and 18 – Londonderry (to be confirmed); Sep 19 and 20 – Omagh Leisure Centre, Omagh; Sep 23 – The Mall Shopping Centre, Armagh; Sep 24 – Ballymena (to be confirmed); Sep 25 and 26 – Ballymoney (to be confirmed); Sep 27 – Connswater Shopping Centre, Belfast.
The Carbon Monoxide Roadshow is actively supported by the General Consumer Council for NI and the Coal Advisory Service. Representatives from both organisations will be attending the Roadshow to give advice on domestic heating systems and related consumer issues.
