Carbon Monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of the fossil fuels - gas, oil, coal and wood used in boilers, engines, oil burners, gas fires, water heaters, solid fuel appliances and open fires.

Dangerous amounts of CO can accumulate when as a result of poor installation, poor maintenance or failure or damage to an appliance in service, the fuel is not burned properly, or when rooms are poorly ventilated and the Carbon Monoxide is unable to escape.

Having no smell, taste or colour, in today's world of improved insulation and double glazing it has become increasingly important to have good ventilation, maintain all appliances regularly and to have absolutely reliable detector alarms installed giving both a visual and audible warning immediately there is a build up of CO to dangerous levels.

NO SMELL and NO TASTE and NO COLOUR

And it is for these reasons that CO detectors are the only way to alert you to increasingly dangerous levels of CO before tragedy strikes.

What are the effects of carbon monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide produces the following physiological effects on people exposed to the concentrations shown:

Carbon Monoxide poisons by entering the lungs via the normal breathing mechanism and displacing oxygen from the bloodstream. Interruption of the normal supply of oxygen puts at risk the functions of the heart, brain and other vital functions of the body.

The above information is for a healthy adult. Persons suffering from heart or respiratory health problems, infants and small children, unborn children, expectant mothers and pets can be affected by CO poisoning more quickly than others in the household and may be the first to show symptoms.

You can't see it, smell it or taste it.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a subject that people know very little about. Not only can it kill you, it can cause permanent Neurological Damage in the longer term. In the short term, it can make you feel ill and inhibit you life potential.

Here's what to do to protect yourself. Please read all of the 10 steps to the end, it may be that the following five minutes could save your life, or the life of someone else.

	1.  Check the flame colour of your appliances, if its orange you do have a problem. However, Blue does not necessarily mean its safe. Get your appliances checked annually and get a detector if unsure. You would not drive your car without an MOT. Doing the same for you home is common sense as you spend most of your time there.
	2. Check the flue, is it blocked? Do you have creeping plants growing up your walls? Do you have birds nesting in your flue? Completely remove these obstructions from the flue area and fit a guard to stop any birds nesting. Get your flue checked! Is it drawing properly? Was it fitted correctly in the first place?
	3. Do you have a horizontal gas grill? They can be particularly hazardous. Is  yours working correctly? Older appliances can be problematic, use the electric toaster instead. Get your cooker checked.
	4. Is there adequate ventilation? Check your air bricks or trickle vents. Have you had double glazing fitted? If the appliances in your home do not have enough air they will produce carbon monoxide
	5. When were your appliances last checked? Do it every year don't leave it to chance. Remember the engineer can only check the conditions on the day that he attends, get protection year round, fit a CO detector with a low level alarm.
	6. Do you suffer from unexplained illnesses, Fatigue, Muscle pains , Upset stomach, Lethargy, Dizziness, Headaches. Go to your doctor and get a CohB test, go directly from your house, don't go elsewhere as the CO in your blood will deplete and may not be picked up.
	7.  Are you a tenant? Do you have a safety certificate? Does your landlord annually check the appliances in your accommodation? (He must do this by Law). Has the engineer done a thorough check? How long was he in the house for? Has your landlord fitted a CO Detector?
	8.  Are you a landlord? have you been carrying out statutory checks? Even if you have you may be liable if one of your tenants becomes ill or worse dies. Fit a detector for your own and your tenants piece of mind. As a Landlord, you have to show due diligence. If you are found guilty of neglect you may be fined or even sent to prison. Could you live with the consequences for the rest of your life?
	9.       We all feel better on holiday. If you feel especially invigorated it may be that you have been removed from the source of the poison. If your health goes into decline on your return it may be that it's not just post holiday blues, you may be suffering the ill effects from being poisoned from carbon monoxide in your home.
	10.    The most important thing that you can do to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning is to get a carbon monoxide detector alarm with a low level indicator. If you fit a detector you can at least be sure, having carried out all the about safety checks, that you are protected.

1. Carbon monoxide detectors do NOT function as smoke detectors

2. Smoke detectors do Not work as carbon monoxide detectors.

3. Only select detectors which are officially approved (and kite marked where appropriate) to at least one of the major CO Alarm standards. Which are UL2034 (American) EN50291 (European) & BS7860 (British)

4. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for placement in your home.

5. Treat all activations as real, and get the activation checked out by a professional

6. Evacuate everyone from your home immediately, leaving the door open for ventilation on your way out.

7. Notify the fire service from a neighbor’s home.

8. Test CO detectors at least once a month, following the manufacturer's instructions.

9. Replace CO detectors and batteries according to the manufacturer' s instructions. (every five years normally)

10. If you are looking to buy carbon monoxide detection products in any amount, you could benefit from a combined discount with other organizations. Medium Sized Retailers, Wholesalers, Plumbers, Electricians, Government Organizations, Educational Establishments and Charities Worldwide.

Carbon monoxide readily binds to hemoglobin. While not produced
physiologically (except in minute quantities), carbon monoxide
nonetheless is regretably common in the environment. Carbon monoxide
forms when carbon-containing molecules are burned with insufficient
oxygen present for the molecules to be oxidized completely to CO2.
Smoldering fires such as those of cigarettes and improperly functioning
wood stoves are two sources. Most, however, comes from internal
combustion engines. In cities with significant automotive pollution,
carbon monoxide typically is one of the most important pollutants.

Because the affinity of carbon monoxide for hemoglobin is over 200
times greater than oxygen, carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin even
when carbon monoxide is at very low partial pressures. With carbon
monoxide attached, hemoglobin can no longer transport oxygen,
rendering the hemoglobin useless until the carbon monoxide dissociates.
The effects of carbon monoxide poisoning are thus identical to those
of low levels of hemoglobin.

In a typical large city it is common for a nonsmoker to have roughly on
e percent of his or her hemoglobin inactivated by carbon monoxide. For
smokers the average is about five percent or more. The percentages can
increase during heavy pollution, such as during a traffic jam. The
people most at risk are those with heart or lung disorders in which
the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the tissues is
marginal.

Note that less oxygen is present in arterial blood in both carbon
monoxide poisoning and anemia, because there is less functional
hemoglobin. Nonetheless, the partial pressure of oxygen in the
arterial blood is not directly affected; blood in the lungs stills
equilibrates to the alveolar partial pressure of oxygen. Again, the
amount of oxygen and the partial pressure of oxygen are related,
but separate, factors.

Pure oxygen is helpful in treating carbon monoxide poisoning because it
competes with the carbon monoxide. While the half-life of carbon
monoxide bound to hemoglobin is 4 to 6 hours when breathing room air,
it is only 40 to 80 minutes when breathing 100 percent oxygen. With
hyperbaric oxygen, it is reduced to 15 to 30 minutes. The latter
requires a special chamber and is used in certain more severe cases.