A new carbon monoxide (CO) portal was launched by the Gas Safety Trust on 29 January, to host and signpost data and information relating to CO in the UK.

Launched at the Science Museum in London, the portal was created following a recommendation in the 2011 All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group report ‘Preventing Carbon Monoxide’.

The Portal has three main sections: Legislation and Standards, which includes information on regulations, standards, guidance and codes of practice; Academic References, which is a searchable reference library of academic papers relating to CO; and Data and Documents, which contains reports and other general information on CO.

“Providing access to CO related information and data is an essential component of our strategy to improve knowledge and understanding of CO in the UK,” said Gas Safety Trust Chairman Chris Bielby. “We are delighted to invite researchers, academics and other interested parties to make use of this resource and look forward to developing Phase 2, a data collection exercise in the coming months.”

Baroness Finlay, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group said: “Comprehensive and easily-accessible data and information on CO are vital pieces of the poisoning prevention puzzle.

“Given the often fragmented and disparate nature of where information related to CO is held, the CO Portal is an important step forward in improving knowledge and understanding of this deadly gas and in improving our poisoning prevention activities.”