Fermanagh District Council is encouraging householders to have their heating appliances, which have been well used over the winter, serviced and chimneys cleaned to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that has no smell, colour or taste. It can be released to dangerous levels by any appliance or heating system that burns oil, gas or solid fuel if they have not been properly installed, maintained or where adequate ventilation is not provided.

Appliances include wood or multi-fuel burning stoves, gas cookers and heaters, central heating boilers, open fires, flues, and solid or oil fuel cookers.

Barbeques and exhaust fumes from portable generators and cars are other sources of carbon monoxide.

Lynda Hutton, Head of Environmental Health, Fermanagh District Council, said: “Carbon monoxide awareness is something we all need to be continually thinking about. Carbon monoxide poisoning can prove tragic however the risk of it happening can be reduced by fitting a carbon monoxide alarm in the home or in premises and by following a number of safety tips which are outlined in the Council’s carbon monoxide awareness leaflet.

It is important to remember that fitting a carbon monoxide alarm is never an alternative to ensuring gas, oil, coal and wood burning appliances are serviced and safety checked each year by a qualified installer.” Later this month every household in the Fermanagh District Council area will receive a leaflet with information on how to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

Safety tips include ensuring fuel-burning appliances are properly installed and regularly serviced, at least once a year, by a qualified installer; making sure chimneys and flues are clean and free from obstruction; never using unflued appliances in a small closed room; ensuring there is adequate ventilation in any room or setting where fuel-burning appliances are used; and that ventilation caps must never be in place if a fireplace is being opened up and brought back into use as they will not allow for the safe removal of smoke and carbon monoxide.

The Council’s carbon monoxide awareness leaflet is available to download from www.fermanagh.gov.uk/carbonmonoxide It will also be delivered to Fermanagh households at the end of April.