So many of us now have smoke alarms fitted in our homes and many of us actually remember to test them occasionally as well but how many of us can actually hold our hands up and say that we have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted as well?
It is actually a fact that the number of deaths caused by fires in the home are going down, most fire brigades say that this is as a direct result of less and less people actually smoking, at the same time though the incidence of death or severe illness caused by carbon monoxide is rising at an alarming rate.
Carbon monoxide is odorless, colourless, tasteless and initially non irritating and is very difficult to detect at anytime. It is slightly lighter than air and so in a normal home situation if you are thinking of fitting an alarm make sure you fit it at the correct height level as suggested by the manufacturer and always make sure that like any fire alarm you fit it is audible.
Symptoms of mild affects of carbon monoxide poisoning can included feeling lightheaded nauseous and confused more like vertigo or a flu like feeling. if you are unfortunate to be subject to more intense doses of carbon monoxide it can attack the central nervous system the heart and lead to death.
Unfortunately the emergency services do not always realise the situations involving carbon monoxide poisoning as if the enter a premise where some one is unconscious as a result of it just them entering and letting fresh air in can change the whole situation and the person involved can eventually recover but be suffering permanent damage which is not attributed initially to the carbon monoxide and in some unfortunate cases people have returned home not realising what was causing their problem. Sometimes it is not realised until a fatality has occurred but then not always especially if it is a situation involving older people.
There have recently been problems arising with people either camping or having barbeques which for some reason, either to heart a tent or to keep the barbeque going in wet weather when they have been moved inside tents this can be fatal and can take hold very very quickly!
If you are going to be comfortable in your own home and actually be able to relax in your swivel recliner chair then make sure that not only do you have an audible fire alarm fitted but also and probably more importantly an audible carbon monoxide alarm fitted, you do not want to be safe from one only to find that the other one, the silent killer, creeps up on you!
It is mothers day this weekend what a really sensible present a carbon monoxide alarm would make! If not for mothers day then how about for Easter? Make sure you look after your loved ones!
These alarms can be found in all good hardware stores and of course in DIY stores everywhere and if you can’t get out then let the internet bring one to you. It makes sense! You know it does.
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