Abstract
Aim
This project aimed to increase knowledge and awareness of carbon monoxide (CO), to monitor CO levels in domestic dwellings, to distribute CO alarms and to estimate the costs of this project.
Subject and methods
Local authority officers on routine house visits monitored and recorded CO levels and offered free CO alarms. Short education sessions were delivered at parent and baby sessions in the most deprived areas of South Wales. Participants were also offered a free CO alarm and information pack.
Results
Local authority officers visited 442 properties and found CO levels to be 0 ppm in 412. Urgent action was taken at two properties with CO levels greater than 10 ppm. One fifth of properties already had a CO alarm and 83.5 % of those offered a CO alarm accepted one.
Education was delivered to 70 participants; 54 were followed up and all had improved knowledge of CO causes, symptoms and prevention at follow up. In addition, participants felt that they had learned something important and been empowered by the education session.
Conclusions
There is considerable scope for increasing CO education and alarm uptake. Both of these approaches can be used to achieve this.
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This study was not externally funded.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Jones, S.J., Lewis, H., McCarthy, J. et al. Carbon monoxide alarms: a community distribution project. J Public Health 24, 409–414 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0737-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0737-4