Chimney sweeping firefighter Dave warns of carbon monoxide danger.
A Chimney Sweeping firefighter is warning people of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Dave Moore, who is a crew commander at Orsett Fire Station but also runs the DDM Chimney Sweep Limited, has been in business for little more than five years but has already become highly recognised in the industry.
Recently he was a guest speaker at the Institute of Chimney Sweeps where he gave talks on the Carbon Monoxide Consumer Awareness Alliance (COCAA), Basic Risk Assessment and P.P.E.(Personal Protective Equipment) for chimney sweeps.
Following these lectures he was asked to become an honorary member of the Institute.
Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that has no colour, taste or smell and can be produced by appliances that use gas, wood, oil or coal.
It can also be present in smoke from solid fuel or oil appliances and is potentially fatal and even low-levels of the poison can cause lasting damage to your health.
Dave, 49, of Francis Close, Horndon-on-the-Hill, said: "I promote carbon monoxide awareness and am trying to get all chimney sweeps to fit carbon monoxide alarms in houses.
"It's a killer and most people just feel sleepy and don't realise they are being poisoned. But, people are slowly getting the message."
Dave got started as a chimney sweep after acquiring funds for training from the Fire Service and making contact with a master sweep called Andrew Taylor of A C Taylor, a Peterborough-based company, who agreed to train him.
He then set about gathering as much information and more training as possible and is now an APICS and a HETAS approved chimney sweep.
At the beginning of this year business was going so well DD Moore changed its company status from a sole trader to a limited company and is now registered as DDM Chimney Sweep Ltd.
He said: "I now cover an area from East London to the mouth of the Thames and as far north as Chelmsford and Maldon although I do have some clients further afield."
Next year Dave plans to retire from the fire service and will concentrate solely on chimney sweeping.
The Chimney Sweeper
