Special feature

CORGI survey reveals the UK remains ignorant of the deadly nature of carbon monoxide

 New research published in October by gas safety watchdog CORGI and Kidde Safety reveals that there is still a startling level of ignorance about the dangers of carbon monoxide, despite the high profile, tragic cases such as the deaths of Christianne and Robert Shepherd in Corfu and the ongoing campaigns by pressure groups such as CogDEM to raise awareness.  The research, launched during Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, looked at the nation’s understanding of CO poisoning and how to prevent it. What was particularly alarming was the number of people (over a third of respondents) who thought they had a good understanding of the dangers associated with CO that when tested, were unable to answer basic questions about how the gas could be produced and what warning signs to look out for. When tested only 5% of respondents knew enough to be able to keep themselves safe. Symptoms and sources were the most common areas of confusion with 95% of people failing to identify the most common symptoms of CO such as tiredness, headaches, nausea and cold or flu symptoms. Regarding sources, while there is a strong association between CO and boilers there remains a worrying lack of awareness around other possible CO emitters. The strong association of CO with gas fuel means that householders overlook appliances such as Agas and wood burning stoves which can be just as lethal. Media coverage around CO related tragedies has definitely helped raise general awareness that carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas. Three years ago in a similar study conducted by Kidde, two thirds of respondents admitted they knew little or nothing about CO. The CORGI study in 2007 showed a marked improvement in some areas such as the association of CO with boilers – which is now at 85%, and the need for regular servicing of gas appliances. However, what is worrying is that although there is now widespread understanding of the dangers of faulty gas appliances, only a third of respondents have their appliances checked regularly and only a quarter have installed any form of CO detector in their homes. The problem lies in the gap between understanding and action. While awareness of the issue has definitely increased we are still not at a stage where a CO alarm is as normal a household appliance as a smoke alarm. There remains an assumption that CO is something associated with run down bed sits and pensioners with faulty gas fires. In actual fact you are just as much at risk from CO poisoning in a country mansion as you are in a student flat. 

It is often said that a little bit of information can be as dangerous as none at all and in the case of the carbon monoxide this is definitely the case. What is clear from this research is that many consumers in the UK are living under the false assumption that they know enough about this lethal gas to keep themselves safe when clearly, in all too many cases – this is far from the truth.