Whether you’re camping, staying in a caravan, booking a cosy cottage or travelling abroad, add carbon monoxide safety to your holiday checklist.
When we pack sun cream, walking boots or travel documents, we can overlook it. That’s why it’s important to take a moment to think about carbon monoxide (CO) safety before you go.
Being carbon monoxide aware is not just another task. It can save your life and protect the people travelling with you.
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas. You can’t see, smell or taste it. Fuels such as gas, charcoal, wood, petrol, oil or coal produce it when they burn.
Your risk can increase on holiday as you’re using unfamiliar appliances, portable cooking equipment, barbecues or generators.
Know the signs of CO poisoning
People can mistake carbon monoxide poisoning for flu, food poisoning, dehydration or a hangover. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness, tiredness, confusion and shortness of breath. In serious cases, people can lose consciousness.
Stay vigilant. If symptoms improve when you leave your room, tent, caravan, cabin or accommodation, but return when you go back inside, treat it as a warning sign.
Act quickly. Get everyone into fresh air and stop using any appliance that may produce carbon monoxide. Seek medical advice and do not go back inside until a Gas Safe professional has fully checked the area.
Think about buying a portable carbon monoxide alarm
A carbon monoxide alarm is small, but it can make a big difference.
If you’re going away, consider buying a portable, audible carbon monoxide alarm. It matters most if you’re staying in a tent, caravan, motorhome, boat, holiday let or somewhere where you do not know what alarms are fitted.
Choose an alarm that suits travel and the place you’ll use it. For camping and caravanning, choose one designed for leisure accommodation. Check it meets the right British Standard for caravans and camping. Always check the battery, test it before you travel and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on where to place it.
Top carbon monoxide awareness tips for your holiday
- Ask questions when booking. If your accommodation has gas appliances, fires, log burners or fuel-burning heaters, ask if someone has serviced them. Also ask if it has a working carbon monoxide alarm.
- Keep fuel-burning appliances outside unless they are designed and installed for indoor use. Portable gas, charcoal, petrol, diesel or solid fuel appliances can be extremely dangerous in enclosed spaces.
- Check appliances before use. Look for damage, poor maintenance, black marks, staining, unusual smells or condensation. Watch for lazy yellow or orange flames where you would expect a blue flame.
- Ventilation matters. Never block vents in caravans, motorhomes or holiday accommodation. Make sure appliances have enough fresh air to run safely.
- Be extra careful abroad. Safety standards, servicing rules and alarm requirements can vary by country. Taking your own portable alarm can give you extra reassurance.
- Don’t use cooking equipment for heating. Camping stoves, gas cookers and barbecues are for cooking. Do not use them to warm tents, awnings, caravans or rooms.
- Never bring a barbecue inside. Lit, smouldering and recently used barbecues can all give off carbon monoxide. They can still pose a risk even when they look cool. Leave them outside and a safe distance away.
- Keep your distance from generators. Never run a petrol, diesel or gas generator inside or near a tent, awning, caravan, motorhome or cabin. Keep it away from open doors and windows too.
- Know what to do in an emergency. If an alarm sounds or you suspect carbon monoxide, get everyone into fresh air. Call for help and seek medical advice. Do not go back inside until a Gas Safe engineer has checked the area.
Camping and caravanning: what to remember
Tents, awnings, caravans and motorhomes can be small, enclosed spaces so carbon monoxide can build up quickly.
Never cook inside a tent or awning and don’t bring disposable barbecues, charcoal grills or portable heaters inside to keep warm. Also do not sleep with fuel-burning equipment running nearby and never bring a BBQ indoors, even after you put it out.
If you own or hire a caravan or motorhome, ask a Gas Safe professional to check and service the gas appliances.
If you hire one, ask for the latest safety check records. Also make sure you know how to use gas appliances safely before you travel.
Questions to ask about your accommodation before you travel
Before you book a cottage, apartment, lodge, glamping pod, holiday home or overseas accommodation, check the carbon monoxide basics.
Ask if the accommodation has fuel-burning appliances. Check when someone last serviced them. Ask if it has a carbon monoxide alarm and when someone last tested it. If it does not have one, consider taking an audible, portable alarm with you.
If you arrive and have concerns about any gas appliances, contact the owner, host or holiday representative immediately. Do not use the appliance until someone has checked it and reassured you.
Make carbon monoxide awareness part of your packing list
A safe holiday starts before you leave home. We often pack plasters, painkillers and antiseptic creams for first aid. Remember illness prevention too, and stay carbon monoxide safe.
Put a portable carbon monoxide alarm on your packing list. Also, talk to your travel companions about the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure they know never to use barbecues, stoves, heaters or generators in enclosed spaces.
Carbon monoxide is silent, invisible and potentially deadly. A few simple steps can help reduce the risks for everyone.
Wherever you’re heading this holiday season, stay aware and informed and make carbon monoxide safety part of your journey.
You can find more free advice at northerngasnetworks.co.uk/co-advice