What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

After a 7-year-old girl saved her family by recalling a gas safety lesson, it is vital that your own family know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide – colourless, odourless and tasteless. Flammable and potentially fatal if you are exposed to high levels. CO poisoning kills an average of 50 people in UK each year, leaving a further 200 seriously ill. Being able to recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – no matter how old you are – is essential.

Just this week, national news has covered the story of a seven-year-old girl from Caerphilly, who, by remembering a gas safety lesson at school, was able to save the lives of her family.

Jaydee-Lee Dummet of Fochriw, realised that her four-year old brother Laylan was showing the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning when he woke up disorientated in the middle of the night. Recalling the information she heard during the lesson, she checked the detector alarm and saw that it had turned from green to red. She even remembered the national gas emergency phone number.

Jaydee’s mother, Lindy Burke commented: “From being involved in a simple lesson of gas safety, she knew exactly what to look for. Looking back, without this lesson, I genuinely don’t think we’d still be alive.

“After seeing her brother so confused, [she] quickly looked for other tell-tale signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and then, like it was second nature, she reeled off the gas emergency number. I couldn’t believe it.”

Wales & West Utilities emergency engineers attended to property to make the gas supply safe. Gas engineer Sean Ward said: “The actions of Jaydee-Lee have saved her family’s lives and they should be commended. From speaking to her that night it was clear that she took in such a lot of vital information from the gas safety session, which is fantastic.”

Just one simple gas safety lesson on the dangers and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning has potentially saved the lives of an entire family. So the question is: do you and your children know what to look for? Would you be able to recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

You may experience only mild symptoms to begin with, but they can get worse with prolonged exposure to CO:

• Tension type headache
• Dizziness
• Feeling or being sick
• Tiredness
• Confusion
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty in breathing
• Loss of balance, vision and memory
• Loss of consciousness
• Death

If you smell gas or suspect that your home has a carbon monoxide leak, you should call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999.

The other vital thing to remember is to make sure you only ever use Gas Safe registered engineers. Only engineers on the Gas Safe register are qualified, competent and deemed legally safe to work on gas appliances and equipment.

You can find a qualified engineer by visiting the Gas Safe register.

We hope you found our article ‘What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?’ informative. If you are interested in a career in the gas industry, we offer a range of accredited training courses to provide you with the qualifications you need.