News and Events
Plea to community workers to join Carbon monoxide Awareness group
The Runcorn based founder of the Carbon Monoxide Awareness charity, Lynn Griffiths is asking local organisations working in the community to come together to prevent deaths and injuries from the UK’s most common poison.
The charity is asking anyone working across Halton to join a group that will meet twice yearly to discuss ways of raising awareness of Carbon Monoxide. The first meeting is being hosted at Halton Housing Trust Offices in Runcorn on Friday 16th September, between 9:30am and 11:30am. .
Working with Halton Housing Trust, the area’s largest single provider of rented housing, the charity is looking for local members from across Halton. Members will act as ambassadors to raise awareness of Carbon Monoxide poisoning amongst their employees and tenants/clients.
Lynn Griffiths, a Halton mum of four and President of Carbon Monoxide Awareness, said: “Carbon monoxide poisoning is not necessarily the first thing that someone visiting someone in their own home will think of when presented with even a classic case. We know from contact with surviving victims and bereaved relatives that all too often people receive poor advice, investigation and treatment after their encounter with carbon monoxide.
“Unless we do something to improve the overall awareness, cases of exposure to this common and potentially deadly poison will continue to be poorly recognised, particularly in the initial stages, and the tragedy of avoidable illness and deaths will
continue.”
Nick Atkin, Chief Executive at Halton Housing Trust said, “As a provider of housing services to over 12,000 people in the borough we have a duty of care to both our customers and also our employees who live and work in our homes. We have been proud supporters of Lynn and her work for a number of years and are keen to create a strong community group for the area to spread the message as far as we can.”
Dr. Ed. Walker, a medical advisor for the charity said: “Carbon Monoxide is unique among poisons. It is lethal even in small amounts, yet is commonly found in homes and workplaces all over the world. As a society we are probably less aware of its dangers than we were 50 years ago, and unless that changes people will continue to die and be severely disabled.”
The charity is concerned that organisations are sending employees into homes without sufficient training or equipment to manage the risk Carbon Monoxide poisoning poses. It is vital that anyone going about their daily work, which involves home visits are issued with personal Carbon Monoxide monitors as a matter of routine.
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Community Group launch event will take place on:
Wednesday 30th May 2012 from 1.30 — 3.30 pm in London. All welcome. Please contact Lynn Griffiths for more information: LynnCoAwareness@aol.com
