Gas leaks can have fatal consequences as well cause a number of other dangers. If you smell gas, or your carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, it is vital that you get help quickly. If you suspect a gas leak, you must contact an emergency plumber as soon as possible and exit the premises so you do not put yourself at risk. Make sure everyone, including your pets, are out of the property as quickly as possible. Gases like Carbon Monoxide are silent killers, and you won’t be able to smell a leak, so exit fast. Symptoms of a gas leak can range from feelings of discomfort, being injured or death. This can happen quickly. If you are living in Gloucestershire and need an Emergency Plumber Gloucester, visit https://www.hprservicesltd.com/emergency-plumber-gloucester/. To find out more about what the dangers of a gas leak are, read below.
- The number one danger of gas leaks is that they can start fires and explosions. This happens if the gas comes into contact with something flammable. As natural gases don’t have an odour, they can spread into the air quickly without you realising. If you light a gas cooker or oven, or a match, or lighter for whatever reason it could cause an explosion which could be fatal.
- The most obvious danger of a gas leak is the risk it has to your health. If the gas leak is not serious, it can go unnoticed for long periods of time but this will cause it to accumulate and cause the air to become polluted. This can decrease the oxygen levels, and make breathing increasingly difficult for everyone over time. Other symptoms that gas leaks can cause include nausea, dizziness, headaches and tiredness. If there is a very high amount of gas in the air, when breathed in it can cause unconsciousness, extreme fatigue, problems with coordination and even memory loss. It could even cause symptoms similar to the flu, along with feelings of depression, nose bleeds, flatulence and most seriously, poisoning.
- The most common gas that can cause poisoning is Carbon monoxide hence the safety requirement that all buildings and properties have a carbon monoxide alarm. An alarm is necessary as the gas does not smell, yet only small amounts of it can kill.
- Gas leaks are not only dangerous for humans. They can also be a danger to plants. When the gas leaks in through soil to the plants, it can cause Chlorosis causing the plants to lose their colour and eventually dry up and die.
- Animals are also at a high risk of being killed by gas poisoning. Pets that are especially small are even more susceptible to poisoning as the gas can affect them more quickly. If your pet becomes especially weak and tired it could be a sign of a gas leak. They may also struggle to breathe or vomit.
- Lastly, as you probably already know due to the increasing conversations in the media about climate change, greenhouse gases such as methane can be very dangerous to our environment. Methane can leak from pipelines that are damaged which releases the gases into the atmosphere, worsening climate change. Due to greenhouse gas emissions, the world is warmer than ever before, ice is melting causing the sea levels to rise which results in major flooding of whole islands and countries. The heatwaves can cause death due to heatstroke, forest fires and droughts.
