How to spot a carbon monoxide leak, as Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders ‘almost died’
Dawn French has revealed that she and Jennifer Saunders narrowly escaped death due to carbon monoxide poisoning while they were working in Spain.
In her upcoming memoir The T**t Files, French recalled working on a film for The Comic Strip, titled A Fistful of Travellers’ Cheques, in 1984 and said she and Saunders were sharing a two-bedroom villa. An excerpt of the book was published in The Mirror this week.
The actress, who is one-half of the comedy duo French and Saunders, wrote: “About five days in, we were called to set. A car would pick us up at 6am and it was my job to be the alarm. I duly woke up, and in an effort not to fall back asleep, I attempted to sit up.”
She quickly realised something was very wrong when she felt as though she had been “thwacked in the face with a frying pan in a Tom and Jerry cartoon”. “Eventually, I managed to roll onto the floor. I was groggy and confused. I crawled to the door, opened it and shouted to Jennifer. She mumbled something and then I heard a thud. None of us could stand up, so we crawled outside.” French continued.
“It later transpired that we were being poisoned by a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty boiler. I’m pretty sure that, if we hadn’t had that early morning call, we wouldn’t be here now because we wouldn’t have attempted to wake up and the gas would’ve finished us off.”
While French and Saunders were able to survive their experience, many others have been less lucky. According to Boiler Guide, carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for around 50 deaths in the UK every year.
The gas is produced by faulty and unsafe gas appliances, and leaks are notoriously difficult to spot as it is odourless and colourless - earning it the name “the silent killer”. Jesse Steele, heating technology expert at BestHeating, tells Yahoo UK: “It’s imperative to have a detector in your property as carbon monoxide as there are several appliances in the home that can cause a leak including boilers, furnaces, fires, heaters, gas-powered tumble dryers, gas hobs, wood stoves, and charcoal grills.”
How to identify carbon monoxide leak
Orange or yellow flames from appliances instead of blue
Yellow or brown staining or soot around appliances
Pilot lights that frequently blow themselves out on a boiler
Increased amount of condensation of windows in the room with a gas appliance (easily mistaken for general excessive moisture)
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Steele says the most common symptom, which also could indicate “low level poisoning”, is fatigue, which can be treated by getting some fresh air outside.
However, more serious symptoms that must be addressed immediately include:
Headaches
Nausea
Vomiting
Difficulty breathing
Dizziness
Confusion
Chest and muscle pain
“A key sign of carbon monoxide poisoning is when the symptoms only happen in the home and you feel better after departing the house, it leaves the body quickly so immediate action could save your life,” Steele adds.
Research by the Gas Safe Register shows that more than 80% of UK adults could be at risk of mistaking carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms for a different illness such as cold, flu or a hangover, so it is vital to keep in mind that these symptoms could indicate something more serious.
What to do if you think you have carbon monoxide poisoning
If you think you might have carbon monoxide poisoning, the NHS advises you:
Stop using your gas appliances if you can
Open any windows and doors to let fresh air in
Go outside and do not go back inside until you have advice
Get medical advice as soon as possible
Call the National Gas Helpline on 0800 111 999
How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning is dangerous, but preventable. Figures by the Gas Safe Register show that 5.5 million homes in the UK are known to have unsafe gas appliances, such as gas boilers, cookers or gas fires - but only 20% of those surveyed said they would always stop using a faulty appliance until it is fixed.
In addition, less than half (42%) get their gas appliances serviced every year. Paul Hull, a Gas Safe registered engineer, said: “To avoid being exposed to carbon monoxide in the first place, it is vital people get their gas appliances checked every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Always ask and check your engineer’s ID card and make sure that it is in date.”
Watch: Dramatic 911 call from carbon monoxide poisoning
More information about carbon monoxide poisoning:
Renter fears for their health after landlord’s shoddy repair of dangerous appliance (The Cool Down, 2-min read)
6 dangerous viral heating hacks you should avoid this winter (Woman & Home, 5-min read)
‘A silent killer took my brother’s life – don’t let it claim yours’ (The Telegraph, 7-min read)
