Too many people die or become seriously ill because of carbon monoxide poisoning each year.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas that has no colour, taste or smell.

It is totally invisible to the human senses.

The only way to detect CO is with an audible carbon monoxide alarm.

Worryingly, less than a third of people have a CO alarm, putting more than 16.4 million households at risk

It is a natural product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and can be produced by appliances that use gas, wood, oil, coal or other solid fuel.

Carbon monoxide is potentially fatal and even low-levels of the poison can cause lasting damage to your health.

Here's five steps to improve your safety:

1. Fit an audible alarm
2. Have your appliances checked regularly
3. Don't block ventilation
4. Know the signs around your appliances
5. Learn to recognise the symptoms

A leaflet produced by the Department of Health 'Carbon monoxide - Are you at risk?' can be found by clicking CO - Are you at risk (pdf opens a new window).