BMF spreads carbon monoxide safety message

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) is aiming to increase awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisioning with the launch of Carbon Monoxide Alarm Week.
The week will run from October 6 to 10 and is an opportunity not just to increase sales of carbon monoxide alarms but also to get the safety message across. responsibility of all within the industry to promote awareness whenever possible,.

The launch of the BMF Carbon Monoxide Alarm Week has led to the Autumn/Winter 2008 ‘Get an Alarm’ campaign being run by the Carbon Monoxide Consumer Awareness Alliance (COCAA), one of the leading authorities on Carbon Monoxide poisoning awareness.

The BMF has produced a Selling Guide on carbon monoxide alarms, which includes information on the different types of alarms and add-on sales such as detector testers and replacement sensors so that merchants have all the information at their fingertips in time for CO Alarm Week.

Chris Pateman, BMF managing director said: “Carbon monoxide poisoning shouldn’t be thought of as something that happens to other people – it could happen to anybody.

“Because of the severity of carbon monoxide poisoning there is a need for an increased awareness within the industry of the necessity for CO alarms. The alarms provide a sure method of decreasing the risk of poisoning and we encourage merchants to remind customers of this when selling any heating appliance.

“There are many different CO alarms in the market place, so by stocking a selection, merchants should be able to provide them with exactly what they need.”

Carbon monoxide is produced from gas appliances and from solid fuel and oil fired heating systems, wood burning stoves, butane and propane appliances as well as vehicle exhausts. This puts many families at risk of exposure to the harmful and, in large amounts, deadly gas. However having a carbon monoxide alarm can reassure householders of their safety from CO poisoning, and helps to alert them to the dangers as well.