THE founder of the Witham Hub has urged people to ensure they have a working carbon monoxide alarm after saving the life of an elderly woman.
Tina Townsend, founder of the Witham Hub and a Health, Safety and Environmental Consultant, was recently approached by an elderly woman while carrying out a fire risk assessment in Norfolk.
The woman, who overheard Tina discussing chimney maintenance, mentioned she had been feeling unwell since having her chimney swept.
Tina said: "When I listening to the woman, she described many of the key symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – nausea, headaches and feeling generally unwell.
"I sent her home with two carbon monoxide monitors and explained that she should fit them near the fuel burning appliances in her home, including next to her chimney.
"I advised her to set them up immediately, not to use the chimney under any circumstances and get the chimney inspected as an urgency.
"I also advised her to use an alternative heat source."
Tina was recently thanked for potentially saving the life of the woman after later being told by her son that she had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.
She said: "I received a phone call from her son a couple of weeks after my meeting with the lady, and he confirmed that his mum had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of damaged chimney lining.
"His words really stuck with me as he said what I did had potentially saved her life."
The Witham Hub is a Cadent Centre for Warmth, part of a national network of community centres supported by energy firm Cadent.
The centres provide energy efficiency advice and raise awareness of carbon monoxide risks, particularly for vulnerable people.
Tina said: "To me, this is part of my job.
"The work we do with Cadent is so important, and it’s my responsibility to champion safety.
"We support people in Witham every week with carbon monoxide support and can offer free alarms for eligible households.
"You never know when you might need a carbon monoxide alarm, so it’s incredibly important that you have one installed and that you test it is working regularly."
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As a result of her training through the Centre for Warmth programme, Tina always carries monitors and safety leaflets in her car.
Chimneys can emit carbon monoxide for several reasons, including a damaged or broken flue.
Witham Hub is a Cadent Centre for Warmth, which is funded through Ofgem’s Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA).
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