Do I Need A Carbon Monoxide Alarm?

Monday 31st July 2023

Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is impossible to detect without an alarm and exposure can have serious health implications. Over 100 people in the UK have died from CO poisoning each year since 2010. The importance of having a CO alarm in your home should not be underestimated.

Install a CO alarm in your home to protect your family from the 'Silent Killer' — CO has no taste or smell – without a detector in your home, you cannot know if you are at risk

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide (CO), also known as the Silent Killer, is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas. Highly poisonous to humans and animals, carbon monoxide is produced when fuels are burnt without enough oxygen present. Common sources of CO include faulty gas cookers, gas boilers, chimneys and log burners.

Do I need a CO alarm?

CO is impossible to detect without a carbon monoxide alarm. Having your appliances properly serviced and maintained each year is important but it is not a guarantee that you will be safe. Faults can, and do develop between inspections, potentially exposing you and your family to this deadly gas.

If you’re a home owner without a CO alarm, you should strongly consider investing in one to protect your household. Even if your home is supplied and heated only with electrical appliances, the gas can travel through walls. Therefore, your neighbours’ appliances, over which you have no control, could put your home at risk. Adjoining garages that house vehicles and petrol-fuelled equipment such as lawnmowers can also be a source of CO.

In Scotland, it is mandatory for every home to have a carbon monoxide alarm where there is a carbon fuelled appliance or flue. Find out more about the Scottish carbon monoxide alarm regulations.

If you’re a tenant, landlords are legally required to provide CO detection, although the level of protection differs for each country in the UK.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning? — The symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to common illnesses – nausea, headaches, fatigue, weakness, and dizziness can be easily overlooked.

How do I know if I have CO poisoning?

This deadly gas starts with subtle symptoms, which can quickly become fatal if ignored. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, confusion, shortness of breath and chest and muscle pain are the most common signs. They may be intermittent, but get worse the longer the victim is exposed to CO.

Having a CO alarm will alert you to any potential carbon monoxide exposure, and is the only way to know for certain if you are in danger. The symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to many other common illnesses, and can easily be overlooked.

If you think you have been exposed to CO, you should switch off appliances you think might be making carbon monoxide if possible. Open as many doors and windows as possible to improve air circulation, and leave the building as quickly as you can. Get medical advice immediately, and do not return to the building until you are certain that it is safe to do so.

What CO alarm should I choose?

Carbon monoxide alarms are affordable and do not require any wiring or installation.

Every device in our CO alarm range is certified to BS EN 50291 Part 1. This defines the standard that CO alarms must be made to for use in the home. We also stock a range that are suitable for camping, caravans and travel when gas cookers and heaters are commonly used (these alarms are certified to BS EN50291-2).

For improved peace of mind, an alarm with a digital display, such as the Kidde 5DCO carbon monoxide alarm, will enable you to see exactly what levels of CO are in your home. That way you can easily spot any issues before CO levels become dangerously high.

Protect your family with a CO alarm

New! Fluorine-Free Foam Alternatives added to the P50 Service-Free Extinguisher range

Wednesday 12th July 2023

Just added to Britannia Fire’s range of P50 Service-Free Fire Extinguishers is the Fluorine-Free A-Foam Fire Extinguisher. Further to this, a P50 B-Foam Fire Extinguisher is coming soon. With the phase out of AFFF foam expected to begin imminently, these Fluorine-Free Foams provide a more environmental alternative.

P50 Fluorine-Free Alternatives — New! P50 Fluorine-Free Foam Extinguishers

What is the difference between AFFF foam and fluorine-free?

AFFF Foam contains PFAS chemicals that have been identified as being harmful to the environment, people, and wildlife. The most harmful component of PFAS chemicals is fluorine compounds. Some of these compounds have been discontinued by law since 2020, and other legal restrictions are expected to follow shortly. In light of this action, Britannia Fire have developed the P50 fluorine-free foam as an environmental alternative. This extinguisher contains no harmful fluorine compounds, and therefore will not be subject to PFAS regulations or other forthcoming regulations.

Is the P50 Fluorine-Free an eco-extinguisher?

The P50 fluorine-free foams are free from any harmful fluoro compounds, making it a true eco-foam extinguisher. They are non-toxic, more environmentally friendly than AFFF foam, and will not be subject to any changes relating to the PFAS regulations.

It is important to check the firefighting medium in an extinguisher that is called ‘eco-foam’ or ‘enviro-foam’. Previously, these terms have been used to refer to a group of AFFF foam extinguishers that contain lower fluorine content. Any amount of fluorine is harmful to the environment; these extinguishers should not be considered to be ‘eco’ or ‘environmental’.

Is fluorine-free foam a like-for-like replacement to AFFF foam?

In many situations, the P50 Fluorine-Free A-foam can be used as a direct replacement for AFFF foam extinguishers to tackle class A and electrical fires. The 6ltr extinguisher has ratings of 34A, 13B, and electrical equipment up to 1000 Volts. Where there is a high risk of class B rating fires (flammable liquids like oil, alcohol, or diesel), additional protection may be required. This will soon be provided by the P50 B-Foam Extinguisher which has ratings of 27A, 144B, 25F, and electrical equipment up to 1000 Volts.

Visit PFAS-Free Fire Extinguishers for more information, or book a free P50 Service-Free Extinguisher site survey.

Mel Saunders

Head of Marketing

Mel joined Safelincs in 2020 and leads the content and marketing team.

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Do Public Defibrillators Save Lives?

Friday 7th July 2023

Public defibrillators save lives; research has consistently highlighted the need for more public access defibrillators. UK ambulance services attempt resuscitation of more than 30,000 cardiac arrest victims each year outside of hospital. In 90% of cases, this will be fatal; survival chances for victims decrease by 10% for every minute without a defibrillator (AED) being used on them.

In contrast, fewer than 350 people are killed by fire-related deaths each year, owing to fire safety legislation in the UK. More than 25,000 people die from cardiac arrests outside of hospital annually. If a defibrillator is used within one minute, survival rates are as high as 90%. Moreover, defibrillators should be as accessible as fire extinguishers.

Public Access Defibrillators are Supplied with Clear Instructions to Help Save Lives

Public defibrillators in the UK

Despite several campaigns to increase their numbers, there is no legislation in place to make defibrillators available beyond hospital settings. There is no legal need to install these life saving devices, and poor understanding of how to use them. Together, this is contributing to a high number of unnecessary deaths from cardiac arrest occurring outside hospitals.

Research carried out in 2014 by the University of Southampton and South Central Ambulance Service highlighted the significance of this issue. It set out to discover how available external defibrillators are, given the push for their deployment in public places.

At this time, 673 known PADs (public access defibrillators) were located in 278 Hampshire locations. Out of 1,035 emergency calls which occurred in one year, the caller could access a defibrillator in only 44 cases. The caller was actually able to use the defibrillator in only 18 cases.

How do defibrillators work?

AED’s work by giving an electric shock to the heart to restore its rhythm.

When the sticky pads of the defibrillator are correctly applied to the bare skin of the patient, the device can measure the heart rate. It can then determine whether a shock is required – if a shock is required, it will be delivered either automatically (by an automatic AED), or upon the press of a button (by a semi-automatic AED).

Public Defibrillators are increasingly common, even in rural villages

Fully automated defibrillators are ideal for public use, as they make administration of care as easy as possible. The units not only offer spoken and visual indicators about each step, they also automatically analyse the heart rhythm. The devices will automatically select the correct level of shock for the person who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

Defibrillator Training

Anyone can use an AED, owing to the simple instructions that they are supplied with. However, many individuals lack the confidence to do so. People may worry that they will cause harm to the patient, with moral or legal consequences, or may not be comfortable performing CPR.

The Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 protects those ‘Good Samaritans’ who have attempted to rescue a victim of cardiac arrest (or similar). If nothing is done to assist a victim of cardiac arrest, they will die; if something is done, they may live. Defibrillators will not administer a shock if one is not required, making it almost impossible to cause harm. The law has never been cited in court as no one has ever been sued for trying to deliver CPR, and it is unlikely that this would occur.

Defibrillator Training equips people with the skills and confidence to save a life, but is not essential for use of an AED

It is strongly recommended that organisations who have installed defibrillators provide AED and CPR training for staff. Training equips staff with the skills and confidence to attempt rescue, should the need arise. This training could save the lives of your staff, visitors to your site, or the general public.

Funding for defibrillators

At the end of 2022, the government announced that a £1 million fund will be made available to increase the number of community defibrillators. This will equate to roughly 1000 new AEDs made available to the public. Further to this, a defibrillator will be provided to every state-funded school in England by the end of 2023.

The Circuit: Public Defibrillators Save Lives

Public Access Defibrillators – The Circuit

The Circuit, or National Defibrillator Network provides NHS ambulance services and the general public with information about all of the public access defibrillators in the UK. In the case of a cardiac arrest, the ambulance services can direct bystanders to the closest device. This enables members of the public to deliver essential care while awaiting the arrival of paramedics. This initiative has so far made more than 46,000 publicly available; roughly half of all AEDs in the UK. This initiative is saving lives by improving access to these devices – for more information, go to https://www.thecircuit.uk/.

Are public defibrillators locked?

To prevent theft, vandalism, and misuse, many public defibrillators are locked. Ambulance services should be able to provide bystanders of a cardiac arrest with access details for the nearest public AED.