John Lawless urges gas installers and engineers to help spread awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning and its symptoms.

I am sure most HVP readers already know that carbon monoxide (CO) is a killer, but the problem isn't informing engineers and industry experts about the dangers of poisoning; it's our job to know about these things and arguably our duty to help those that don't yet understand the risks. 

The real issue is about educating the masses. As an industry you could say that we have an added responsibility to be sure that the general public recognises what to look for and understands how best to protect themselves from a deadly gas that takes the lives of 50 people in the UK every year.

At BestHeating, we have many commercial customers from the plumbing and heating industry who have expressed their deep concern at the lack of public awareness and the limited airtime that is afforded to explaining the dangers, causes and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Although there have been many campaigns over the years from organisations such as Gas Safe Register and carbonmonoxidekills.com, alongside the commendable and ongoing work being done by wonderful charities like CO Awareness and CO-Gas Safety, there are still around six serious injuries reported every week as a result of carbon monoxide.

We felt that we could add to the work already being done by creating an online resource that explains the risks in an easily understandable format, http://www.thesilentkiller.co.uk.

After seeking advice from various sources and consulting specialist charities that could provide an authoritative point of view, we produced a page listing the main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning - with advice on what action to take should you believe that you have been exposed to it. We thought it best to make the page as striking and as vibrant as possible to help engage users of all ages and make visiting the page a memorable experience for everyone.

We aren't stopping there. Alongside this resource page, BestHeating will be taking the time to write a number of articles explaining each of the dangers in more detail, allowing us to expand upon the fine work that is already being done to bring carbon monoxide to the attention of as many people as possible.

From student safety and protecting your pets to boiler repair and purchasing CO alarms, there should be no stone left unturned when it comes to being made aware. Our intention is to get as many people, companies and organisations involved in raising that awareness as we can.

If you are an industry expert that wants to share this resource with your audience, or a concerned reader with a passion for health and safety, please visit http://www.thesilentkiller.co.uk and share the page with your customers, family and friends. It could be the difference between life and death.

If you have concerns regarding carbon monoxide, questions about the page, or a story that you think we should hear about the silent killer, please email me at: john.lawless@bestheating.com.

Stay safe and happy heating!

John Lawless is an executive at BestHeating, online retailer of designer radiators.