Every year, hundreds of people are hospitalised as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This odourless gas is often referred to as a silent killer which is why the team here at Firechief® Global commissioned a study to learn more about carbon monoxide awareness in the UK.
The objective of this report was to understand more about what people know about carbon monoxide, where further education is required about the health symptoms and what can be done to reduce the risks.
In the study, conducted by Censuswide in November 2024, a sample of 2,000 people from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were asked a series of questions about what they know about carbon monoxide – and the results were pretty shocking!
The study itself will go into more detail about the questions and the findings, but what we did learn was that youngsters are not receiving the vital education they need about such a serious risk and that those with carbon monoxide alarms fitted at home don’t necessarily know or fully understand the actions to take should their alarm sound.
27% of respondents – more than 500 people – didn’t even know if they had a carbon monoxide alarm in their homes!
When it comes to health and understanding the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, a massive 69% of people surveyed (1,380 out of 2,000 people) did not know that chest pain was a symptom of CO poisoning.
As part of the study, the key findings were broken down into major UK cities to identify any significant trends, and Brighton, Norwich and Edinburgh came out on top for being the most carbon monoxide-aware. This was based on respondents’ answers to our questions, with average scores out of 10 given and a final score assigned to their city.
Those were the only UK cities to average above 8 out of 10 with Belfast residents scoring 5.2, Cardiff residents averaging 4.3 and London propping up the table with an average score of just 1.8 out of 10.
Ultimately, and without giving too much of the report away here, the Firechief® carbon monoxide awareness study highlighted how crucial it is for people to learn more about the gas and its associated signs and symptoms, but also how important it is for people to know how to act to prevent and respond to the associated dangers of CO poisoning.
Click here to read or download the full Firechief carbon monoxide awareness report.
The Firechief® range features professional, commercial and home fire safety products including fire extinguishers, Carbon Monoxide alarms and fire blankets. For more information, call us on +44 (0)330 999 0019 or email sales@firechiefglobal.com.
Disclaimer
The information contained within this blog is provided solely for general informational and educational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon this information, we advise the reader to consult all relevant statutory or regulatory guidance and where felt necessary to consult a qualified fire or industry regulation professional. The use or reliance on any information contained herein is solely at the reader's risk.