Carbon Monoxide - Be Alarmed! is our national campaign to cut the number of deaths and injuries caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
We run the campaign on behalf of British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, npower, ScottishPower and SSE, in partnership with the Dominic Rodgers Trust. The trust was set up by Stacey Rodgers, who lost her son to carbon monoxide poisoning. She has since campaigned locally in Huddersfield and nationally for greater awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning. The campaign is supported by more than 40 other organisations.
According to the Department of Health, there are around 50 deaths caused by carbon monoxide each year and over 4,000 cases of lower level exposure. This could be prevented if there was more awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide and if everyone had their boilers serviced annually. Death or injury could also be prevented if an audible carbon monoxide alarm was fitted in the home. Many people have alarms that only change colour when detecting harmful levels of carbon monoxide. Be Alarmed! advises that fitting alarms that make a warning noise, similar to a smoke alarm, is vital to cut the number of deaths and injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Our research has found that:
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63 per cent of British households are putting themselves at risk because they do not have an audible carbon monoxide alarm
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77% of people say that are 'not worried' about a carbon monoxide leak in their home
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Only 22% of people realise that they can die from carbon monoxide poisoning
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47% of people think that they would recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning - and yet doctors say it is almost impossible to distinguish the early symptoms from common illnesses
Find out how to keep safe from CO poisoning at the Carbon Monoxide: Be Alarmed website.
