Stay safe
Top Safety Tips for Happy Camping
- Never take a barbecue into a tent, awning, caravan or motorhome. Even a cooling barbecue gives off plenty of poisonous carbon monoxide (CO), which can kill.
- Never use a fuel-burning appliance to heat your tent or awning. Gas and kerosene heaters – unless they are permanently fitted in a caravan or motorhome – should only be used outside. Stoves and barbecues are designed for cooking not space heating.
- Never run a gas, petrol or diesel-powered generator inside a caravan, motorhome, tent or awning. Make sure fumes from a generator don’t blow into your unit or anyone else’s from outside either.
- Don’t cook inside your tent or awning
- Don’t use any other gas, charcoal, liquid or solid fuel appliances inside a tent or awning. Gas-powered fridges and lamps, for example, also need plenty of ventilation to prevent them producing poisonous carbon monoxide. Tents and awnings aren’t generally designed with this in mind.
- Consider using a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm,
- Always have gas appliances in your caravan or motorhome serviced regularly.
Safer Boating
Top Safety Tips for Brilliant Boating
- All the crew should know the symptoms of CO poisoning and how to react if it is suspected
- Install fuel burning appliances properly, in-line with makers directions
- Follow servicing guidelines; maintenance should be routine and competent – Don’t allow bodged repairs, adjustments and adaptations
- Always use appliances as per the instructions and never use cookers for space heating
- Don’t block ventilation – appliance fuels like gas, coal, wood, oil, paraffin, etc. need sufficient air to burn safely
- Don’t bring charcoal BBQs on board, or have them near a cabin during or after use – only stone-cold charcoal is safe
- Keep engine fumes out of the cabin space, never use a portable generator in or near a cabin
- Learn about the danger signs, spot potential hazards before CO occurs
- Deal with problems immediately, never use equipment you suspect has problems
- Install at least one certified CO alarm (BS EN 50291-2), test it routinely and never remove the batteries
Symptoms to look out for
Spotting the danger signs of CO poisoning
You cannot smell, taste or see carbon monoxide but it can kill quickly and without warning. Early stages of carbon monoxide poisoning can give symptoms similar to food poisoning or flu, though without a high temperature.
- Symptoms to look out for include:
- Headaches
- dizziness
- feeling sick
- tiredness and confusion
- stomach pains
- shortness of breath
- Higher concentrations can give more severe symptoms:
- Symptoms of intoxication
- vertigo, as if the environment is spinning
- loss of coordination
- breathlessness and high heart beat rate
- seizures or unconsciousness leading to death
