Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – The Silent Killer

Why is it that it is recommended that you should use Gas Safe registered engineers to carry out any work on a gas installation in your property? It’s partly because gas is such a highly combustible material. Any shoddy or sloppy work that leads to a gas leak appearing is potentially deadly. Domestic gas explosions, whilst thankfully few and far between, do still happen, and when they do, people frequently lose their lives.

Carbon monoxide poisoning – a common killer in the home

But that’s not only reason; there’s another one; one that is far more insidious, and that is accountable for many more deaths, than domestic gas explosions. Its carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and it literally is – a silent killer. Although the number of fatalities has dramatically decreased in recent years, thanks in part to better training, and better gas plumbing practice, CO poisoning is still one of the most common causes of death and injury in the home, and we here at CW Services, one of south London’s top central heating boiler service specialists, are determined to reduce the incidence rate of CO poisoning as low as possible.

How CO poisoning occurs

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs whenever any gas fired appliance, (a cooker, a fire, or a gas boiler), fails to burn its fuel supply completely. This happens in enclosed spaces where carbon dioxide is allowed to accumulate. When it reaches a specific level, any flame is restricted from efficiently burning its fuel supply. The result is that a colourless, odourless gas (namely Carbon Monoxide) is released.

The mortality rate of CO poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for approximately 400 hospital admissions per year. Somewhere in the region of 40 to 50 of these admissions result in fatalities, with many more victims sustaining anoxic brain injuries.

CW plumbing and heating supplies gas engineers are all Gas Safe registered

Because we here at CW plumbing and heating supplies are dealing with gas appliances day in and day out, we only employ GAS SAFE registered engineers and fitters. The two main areas of risk associated with CO poisoning and poorly fitted gas appliances, and poorly maintained gas appliances. These are both areas that we are primarily involved with and explains why we only employ fully qualified, experienced GAS SAFE registered engineers.

Don’t just take our word for it

Although you have our word for the fact that we only use GAS SAFE registered fitters, we do actively encourage all of our clients to check not only any fitters/engineer’s ID card, but also the range of work that the fitter/engineer is qualified to undertake. This is because it is usual for gas fitters/engineers to be qualified in specific lines of work. Someone may be qualified to fit or maintain a gas cooker or fire, but not a gas boiler, or vice versa.

How to check a business’s or engineer’s Gas Safe registered credentials

If for any reason, you are suspicious about any allegedly Gas Safe registered person, you can actually check out their qualification by visiting Gas Safe registered website at www.gassaferegister.co.uk. On the right hand side of the website landing page you’ll find two areas where you can verify either any business’s Gas Safe credentials, or any individual gas engineer’s Gas Safe credentials. To check out a company, all you need to do is to enter the company’s post code, and to check out any individual engineer, all you need to do is to enter their ID number, which is the seven digit number that can be found at the top of their ID card. Remember it pays to be safe rather than sorry.

Increasing safeness from CO poisoning

There are two things that anyone can do to be safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. The first and most important is to ensure that any gas appliances are regularly maintained. If you live in South London you can employ the fully qualified Gas Safe services of us here at CW plumbing and heating services.

The second of the things you can do is to have carbon monoxide alarms fitted. We can also help you with this if required. Alarms are important. Many instances of carbon monoxide poisoning occur because people drift off to sleep. They sometimes never wake up again! An alarm will alert you.

Entrust CW plumbing and heating services with your safety from CO poisoning

All of the staff at CW Services, the central heating boiler service specialists, hold our clients health and safety first and foremost, above all other things. You can rest assured that you are in safe hands when you entrust CWS with any gas appliance work in your home.