Milton Keynes City Council are urging residents to take the necessary steps to stay safe when using wood charcoal indoors, following recent correspondence from Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters.
Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, partners of MK council, have noted extremely high carbon monoxide levels in some homes visited recently.
Following this, MK council are reminding people to ensure they check the safety labels on packs of wood charcoal. They are also advising that individuals don’t burn these products in unventilated spaces.
The gov.uk website advice that people should “have all cooking and heating appliances which use fossil fuels (such as gas, oil, and coal) serviced regularly by a qualified and registered engineer, for example, Gas Safe Register (for has appliances), HEATS (for solid fuel appliances), and OFTEC (for oil appliances.”
It continues to say, “It is important to make sure that you have adequate ventilation when using these appliances, therefore chimneys and flues should be kept clean by being swept from top to bottom at least once a year by a qualified sweep and should not be blocked.”
If an individual thinks they have been exposed to carbon monoxide, some common symptoms to look out for are tiredness, headaches, difficulty in thinking clearly, and feeling nauseous. Research has found that symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to symptoms of food poisoning and the flu.
If people are unsure about the products safety, it’s encouraged to not use it at all. Individuals are urged to ensure they have carbon monoxide alarms installed and tested in the same room as any fuel-burning appliances.
For more information on carbon monoxide safety, click here.
