Mumsnetters – be carbon monoxide-free when you ski

Be Carbon Monoxide-free when you ski

• The Safer Tourism Foundation has asked Mumsnetters to help wipe out the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning on winter holidays
• Packing a carbon monoxide detector alongside your woolly hats, gloves and lip balm is the only proven method to identify whether poisonous gas is present, to give you and your families the chance to escape and seek medical attention.
• Mumsnetters should ask holiday accommodation providers about any carbon monoxide risks when making a booking, raising awareness of this important issue with landlords.

Mountains are dangerous places.  From the threat of a fall to the joint risk of frostbite and sunburn, and the omnipresent avalanche danger, or at least a wipeout in the queue for the ski lift, Mumsnetters know the risks they face on the slopes.  But most won’t be aware of the potential threat-to-life that could lurking under the roof of their ski accommodation.

Carbon monoxide – the silent killer – caused by incorrectly installed or poorly maintained household appliances,  delivers a potentially lethal impact for anyone who inhales it.  And blocked flues and chimneys, which can happen as a result of heavy snowfall, can stop carbon monoxide gas escaping.

This colourless, odourless gas can even seep in from neighbouring properties, so even if your own holiday accommodation provider has taken all appropriate steps, you could still be at risk from the building next door.

Now the Safer Tourism Foundation, which aims to reduce the number of preventable deaths, injuries and illnesses occurring to people travelling abroad, is taking action to help Mumsnetters avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Pack an effective carbon monoxide detector

Carbon monoxide detectors save lives, and Safer Tourism is on a mission to help travelers ensure their holidays will be carbon monoxide-free, whether they are staying in a five-star resort or a last-minute, room-only booking.

The charity has now joined forces with specialist safety equipment retailer Safelincs to provide kitemarked, approved and tested carbon monoxide detectors to Mumsnetters, at a discounted price.

With so many detectors available for sale that do not conform with the appropriate UK regulations, Safer Tourism has taken steps to make effective and affordable detectors easily available to Mumsnetters.

The range of portable carbon monoxide detectors meets stringent safety testing, conforms to British Safety Standards BS EN 50291-2 regulations, and all are BSI kitemarked.

Alarms are available here. and using the offer code SAFETOUR provides an additional 10% discount at the checkout.

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Make sure accommodation providers recognise their responsibility to keep your family safe

Mumsnetters can also help raise the importance of carbon monoxide testing with holiday property owners.

Some holiday rental sites like Airbnb make it clear whether or not carbon monoxide detectors are available in their rental properties.  But others are less clear and it’s hard for people booking their accommodation to know what is and isn’t provided at the place they are staying.  Mumsnetters can help raise awareness of the carbon monoxide safety by asking accommodation providers about the risks in their property:  ask whether there is an alarm, and when the appliances were last serviced.

While most large accommodation providers’ risk assessments include carbon monoxide checks, people renting out the occasional apartment may not have such thorough systems to manage risk.

Recognising the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning on holiday

Eating different foods and being in a different climate can often take some adjusting to. But it’s important to pay attention to symptoms that might indicate a serious problem.  Carbon monoxide poisoning can feel like flu but without the fever and the six main symptoms are headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.

Dealing with carbon monoxide poisoning

If you or anyone with you starts to show signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, or if your detector alarm sounds, you should

• Go outside into the fresh air immediately.
• Ask for medical support, and tell whoever treats you that you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning and ask for a proper diagnosis.
• Service the appliances.  If your tests confirm carbon monoxide poisoning tell the people who are responsible for your accommodation straightaway so they can carry out the necessary repairs and testing.