Stop the silent killer

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odourless, tasteless and extremely toxic gas. It is absorbed by red blood cells in the lungs in preference to oxygen - this results in rapid damage to the heart and brain from oxygen starvation.

It is known as the ‘silent killer’ because carbon monoxide is:

• A poisonous gas that is a by-product of an incomplete combustion process
• Odourless, tasteless and invisible
• Symptoms are often mistaken and misdiagnosed
• A tragedy that could be avoided
• Detection is the only sure way of knowing it’s present

Accidents/events that can lead to CO poisoning include:

• Faulty or damaged heating appliances
• Heating appliance not maintained or serviced
• Rooms not properly ventilated
• Blocked chimneys or flues
• Indoor use of a barbecue grill or outdoor heater
• Poor installation of heating appliance
• Improper operation of heating appliances
• Property alterations or home improvements, which reduce ventilation
• Running engines such as vehicles or lawnmowers in garages
• Using cooking appliances for heating purposes

CO awareness and prevention is the key, with CO alarms an integral part of any solution, especially in the winter months when the use of gas heaters is far greater. CO alarms are also recommended for use in boats and caravans.

Brooks Australia has a series of CO alarms available, including the EI207 and EI208 series.