This tragedy has recently been in the news with the tour operator Thomas Cook breaching the duty of care that it owed to the family.
The family, 2 adults and 2 children were overcome with carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty boiler at the resort which they were staying in Corfu on a Thomas Cook holiday. Unfortunately the 2 children died from the poisonous gas.
This article is not to put blame in any particular party or cast any kind of judgement but to bring attention to the dangers wherever we are, not just in our own household.
When we book a holiday, or stay in a hotel, for the majority of us, the last thing on our mind is any safety concerns. We are too busy enjoying the environment and our holiday time to think about any potential dangers. I am sure most of us, when booking a holiday through a well known travel operator or into a recognised hotel, expect to be safe and have the belief everything is checked to the highest standard.
In certain countries, the safety standards are more lax when compared to the U.K. and I am sure regular checks are made at the hotels to see if they pass tour operator standards.
Obviously, in this care those checks have somehow failed. I think this is a wake up call for all of us to not just believe everything must be alright.
Although tragedies like this are uncommon, deaths from carbon monoxide do occur and there have been many reported in recent years, not just in the home, but on boats, in tents and in hotels.
When planning a hoilday, we believe it is a good idea to think about your own safety and not just rely on a companies own checks. What we suggest is taking some kind of carbon monoxide detection with you. This does not necessarily need to be a battery powered alarm but perhaps a colour changing spot alarm. They are small, light and can be easily taken on holiday. One or two of these left in the room and checked a couple of times a day when you enter. This will give you and your family an advanced warning and perhaps we can avoid any unnecessary deaths in the future.