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What is Carbon Monoxide?
About Carbon Monoxide
What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning at Home
Risks of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in your own home
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning at Work
Risks of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning whilst at Work
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
How you may feel after being exposed to Carbon Monoxide
Treatment of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
What Treatment will I receive if I am poisoned by Carbon Monoxide?
Compensation Claim Advice
Advice from Specialist Personal Injury Solicitors
Helpful links
Companies which may be able to help further
Carbon Monoxide is a very dangerous gas, which is produced by the incomplete burning of fuels such as coal, gas, oil and wood.
As these fuels burn, they use up the oxygen from the space around them and replace it with carbon dioxide. As the carbon dioxide builds up it stops the fuels from burning completely and they then start to release carbon monoxide into the air.
Carbon Monoxide is odourless and colourless; therefore you would not necessarily know about its presence until you started to suffer the side effects of inhaling it, which is why it is commonly known as 'The Silent Killer'. Carbon Monoxide is frequently found in industrial areas, garages and mines; however, it could also be found in any home or office heated by a defective boiler for example.
Carbon Monoxide is also produced by burning charcoal on a barbecue and running a car's engine; however as these activities are normally done in outdoor open spaces, the carbon monoxide cannot cause any direct harm.
It is only when a person inhales the carbon monoxide into their lungs that they can develop carbon monoxide poisoning.
When Carbon Monoxide is breathed in through the lungs, it travels into the person's blood stream and prevents the blood from carrying oxygen around the body. If you have no oxygen in your blood, your cells and tissues will start to die.
Having carbon monoxide in your blood stream also causes damage to your blood vessels which can cause swelling to the brain, nerve damage, loss of consciousness and even death.
Any household appliance which uses coal, gas, oil or wood could potentially release carbon monoxide into your home.
Items such as boilers, central heating systems, cookers and fires all need to be installed and maintained by qualified professionals to avoid the risk of them releasing dangerous carbon monoxide into your home.
It is important to have regular safety inspections carried out on your appliances as the danger may not be apparent (for example, a chimney blocked with a bird's nest).
If any of the appliances mentioned above are installed incorrectly, become damaged or develop a fault they could be leaking carbon monoxide into your house without you being aware of it. This is particularly dangerous in unventilated spaces such as rooms with no open windows or doors as the carbon monoxide will quickly fill the room.
For example, if a car is left with the engine running inside a garage with the door closed, enough carbon monoxide to kill a person could build up in only ten minutes.
If you own your own home, you should arrange to have your appliances checked annually and you should also think about installing a carbon monoxide detector, which is similar to a smoke detector and sounds an alarm if any carbon monoxide is present. Carbon Monoxide detectors should be used together with safety inspections and not instead of them.
If you rent your home from the council, a housing association or a private landlord, they should arrange the safety inspections of your appliances. Make sure you see copies of the relevant paperwork.
While you are at work it is your employer's duty to keep you safe; therefore, they are responsible for making sure that you are not exposed to dangerous levels of Carbon Monoxide.
The employers should risk assess and monitor the risk and then take and provide a tier of protective steps and measures designed to eliminate the risk completely or reduce the risk to the lowest possible level. Risk assessments should therefore be routinely carried out under the Law where a risk may exist or is identified. Defects in safety equipment and devices such as control equipment, ventilation and exhaust appliances should be repaired immediately to prevent fume escapes. Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks with independent air supplies should only ever be provided by the employers to employees as the last resort since an employer must first do all reasonably practicable to eliminate and reduce the problem of fumes escape at source.
Although it may be more likely to find Carbon Monoxide in industrial workplaces, it could actually be present in any workplace which is heated by gas for example.
Depending on the level of carbon monoxide you are exposed to, the symptoms can be as mild as shortness of breath, nausea, headaches and dizziness; however, exposure to larger amounts of carbon monoxide can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, tiredness and confusion. Some cases have unfortunately even proven to be fatal.
In some cases, a person only realises that the symptoms they have been having are connected to being at home for example after they feel better during the day while they are at work or away on holiday and then feel ill again when they return home.
It can be a sign that you are suffering from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning if a lot of people are ill with the same symptoms mentioned above. For example if several people in your office all have similar symptoms.
If you suspect that you have been exposed to Carbon Monoxide, you should seek medical attention immediately. After a simple blood test, your condition could be diagnosed.
The first thing you should do if you suffer from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is to stay away from the source of the poisoning and report it to whoever is responsible for maintaining the appliance. The longer you are exposed to the Carbon Monoxide, the worse you will feel.
As soon as you are away from the Carbon Monoxide you should start to feel better but should still consult a doctor. If you have been exposed to a high volume of Carbon Monoxide you may need oxygen treatment or an ECG to check how well your heart is pumping your blood around your body.
The vast majority of people make a full recovery from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; however, there are some people who suffer damage to their heart, brain damage or urinary incontinence.
If you suffer from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning due to the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim for your injury.
Providing it can be proven that your injury was caused by your exposure to Carbon Monoxide and the person / company who allowed you to come into contact with the gas was negligent, then your claim for compensation should be valid. We will also be able to provide you with advice if the injured person is a relative or someone else you know.
There are strict time limits in place to make any injury claim. For further information, contact us or visit our Questions Answered page.
Thompsons Solicitors are experts in all personal injury matters. We will be able to advise you whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation. Our specialist personal injury lawyers will be happy to talk you through the process of making a claim in plain English and will be happy to answer any questions or queries you may have. If you do have a valid personal injury compensation claim and you decide to instruct Thompsons Solicitors to deal with the matter for you, we will recover our legal fees from the person responsible for your injury, ensuring that the entire procedure is cost-free for you. Telephone us now on 08000 224 224 or complete one of our online compensation claim forms.
Health & Safety Executive (HSE) - free and impartial advice on occupational safety and health
BBC Health - How to spot the warning signs of this silent killer
NHS Direct - Health encyclopaedia
Corgi - Find your nearest registered company