NAPIT has warned that the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning surrounding barbecues has been 'criminally undervalued and largely overlooked'.

The recent death of Shropshire teenager Hannah Thomas-Jones, who died after succumbing to CO fumes from a barbecue that had been taken inside a tent at a campsite, hit the headlines, but the National Association of Professional Inspectors & Testers (NAPIT) said that a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of CO had been largely ignored before the tragic accident.

CO-poisoning survivor and president of registered charity ‘Carbon Monoxide Awareness’, Lynn Griffiths, had released a press release warning of the CO dangers in similar circumstances to those that caused Hannah's accident just two days before the teenager was killed. NAPIT has said that the press release received minimal support until after her death, when Griffiths was then invited to discuss about the issue on 17 radio interviews.

This year has already seen an unprecedented number of reported cases of CO poisoning. With the festival and camping season now coming up, NAPIT is urging the public to heed the following advice, which it believes could potentially save lives. CO is a toxic gas that is very difficult to detect, as it has no colour, taste or smell.

CO poisoning can cause the following symptoms:

CO poisoning can be caused by any fuel that smoulders, and as the festival season fast-approaches, NAPIT has said it feels compelled to promote Griffith’s message in the hope of avoiding any further tragedies.

Dr Dennis Denholm, chairman of the NAPIT Trade Association, said: "The message conveyed by the ‘Cosy but Deadly’ campaign (soon to be launched nationally) warns against inaccurately calibrated camping lights and stoves, as well as the potentially lethal use of a barbecue in enclosed spaces such a tent. The campaign also goes a long way to highlight the dangers and symptoms of CO poisoning. It’s just such a shame that lives are still being needlessly lost, which is why NAPIT is proud to act as a dedicated sponsor for such a worthwhile cause."

For information on national Carbon Monoxide Awareness week, the importance of CO awareness and useful information to keep safe, visit www.covictim.org.

NAPIT is requesting that visitors sign the ‘Be Carbon Monoxide Aware Camping and Caravan Sites’ register and support the call for all barbecues to include warnings against CO.