British campers warned about dangers of BBQs in tents
With up to 3.7 million Britons expected to go camping this summer, gas safety officials are warning families not to use barbecues to heat their tents
The Gas Safety Register has issued the urgent advice after several deaths from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning caused by gas and charcoal barbecues.
New research shows a a lack of awareness about safety regarding barbecues and cooking devices, with one in five people unaware that using a gas barbeque inside a tent can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Safety first: Gas safety officials are warning about the dangers of placing barbecues near tents
A further third did not know cooking on a charcoal barbeque inside can do the same.
Even sitting too close to a charcoal fire or barbeque can lead to poisoning, which only a third of those surveyed were aware of.
The issue has been brought to the
nation's attention over the last year, with seven people dying and
seventeen being seriously injured.
Earlier this year, a 14-year-old girl
died from CO poisoning when camping in Shropshire after inhaling fumes
from a disposable barbeque, which was moved into her family's tent to
keep them warm overnight.
And just this month an inquest ruled an accidental death in the case of six-year-old Isabelle Harris, who died after her parents placed a charcoal barbecue in their tent to keep warm on a camping trip to Hampshire's New Forest.
After the inquest, parents Tracey and Lee Harris, said: ‘We hope that her (Isabelle's) death will act as a warning to others about the dangers of carbon monoxide.
‘It is our sincere hope that no one ever again has to go through what we have been through.'
Around a quarter of those planning on holidaying in the UK this summer will be camping or caravanning and there are concerns that if the cold wet summer so far experienced across the UK continues, many campers will be tempted to cook inside tents or caravans with equipment that needs ventilation such as barbeques and portable gas cookers.
Because carbon monoxide is odourless and can't be seen it can kill quickly with no warning and the Gas Safe Register is urging campers to follow a number of basic rules to keep safe.
As well as making sure appliances are in good working order, the Register is also encouraging campers to follow basic safety rules which include never taking a barbeque, light or heater into a tent, caravan hut, or confined area with no ventilation, and never leaving a lit barbeque unattended or while sleeping.