Carbon monoxide can cause illness, permanent health damage and death – so make sure your fire is safe

Formed by the incomplete burning of fuel (gas, coal and wood), a small amount will be present during the normal process of burning a fire, but it’s evacuated safely up the chimney. However, if your chimney is blocked, or leaking, or if your appliance airways are not clear, then the carbon monoxide will not escape, but flow back into your house (or into your neighbour’s house, through a common chimney), with potentially lethal results. In fact, almost all cases of carbon monoxide poisoning with solid fuels are the result of a blocked or leaking chimney or the poor maintenance of gas fires.

If you are using smokeless fuel, you won’t see any smoke which would determine the air direction; remember that carbon monoxide has no smell, colour or taste.

For more information, visit carbonmonoxidekills.com