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It’s often said that for a parent to out-live their child is their worst nightmare, so imagine what it must be like for a grandparent to out-live their grandchild. Thankfully, I CAN only imagine what this must be like and I pray it stays that way.
Even so we shouldn’t keep our kids wrapped in cotton wool; they need to be exposed to the world in order to become fully human and capable of living worthy lives. Going to university is often part of that exposure and one to be welcomed when the opportunity arises, even though it almost certainly involves our precious child or grandchild going off to live apart from us in student accommodation.
Alarm bells usually start sounding at this point and rightly so.
No, I’m not talking about promiscuity and late night parties/orgies or getting drunk and flunking their exams: all worthy of a worry or two no doubt.
No, I’m talking about a silent and deadly menace – carbon monoxide poisoning!
It’s rightly known as the ‘silent killer’ because you can neither see it, taste it nor smell it. Carbon Monoxide is a highly poisonous gas produced in poorly maintained or badly installed gas appliances such as gas fires, gas cookers, etc. It can enter rooms quite unobtrusively if not monitored properly and students living away from home are particularly vulnerable from carbon monoxide poisoning in bedsits or the like.
Although many parents and grandparents don’t know how safe their child’s accommodation is, landlords are obligated to the safety of their tenants. However, they should never assume that all the necessary tests and repairs have been carried out. Parents (or grandparents/guardians) should take responsibility by ensuring simple checks are made when they drop their children off at the start of each term. If possible, ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is installed; prices of these are coming down and, after all, what price your child’s safety?
(Parts of this item were gleaned from an advertisement in the Daily Mail on Wednesday, 3rd September 2008) (*“Confederation for the Registration of Gas Installers” – a UK based industry safety watchdog) If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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