Winscombe pupil wins competition with eye-catching design
Wales & West Utilities First Line Manager, Darren Cuddy with winning pupil, Holly Phippen
Winscombe’s Holly Phippen has scooped a top regional prize in a national gas safety competition for her eye-catching poster which warns of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the signs to look out for.
Holly, who attends Winscombe Primary School, won the Key Stage 2 South West of England entry of the ‘Get Creative, Be Safe’ competition picking up a prize of £150 for herself and £300 for her school.
The ‘Get Creative, Be Safe’ competition is run nationally by industry body, Energy Networks Association, and is supported locally by gas emergency and pipeline service Wales & West Utilities. Each year it invites school-age children to produce something creative to warn of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Holly designed an eye-catching poster which warns of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the signs to look out for. This year saw more than 650 entries across Wales & West Utilities operating area.
Taking part in this competition was really enjoyable. We learned about gas safety in school, and it was really fun to design a poster with everything we had learned.
I’m really proud to have been named a winner!
Holly’s entry captured the attention of all judges and he has done a fantastic job in bringing to life a very serious issue.
The competition was a huge success this year and we hope that everyone taking part has been able to help spread the vital gas safety messages to their friends and loved ones.
The competition was a fantastic exercise for us all – not only did the pupils enjoy taking part and putting their creative skills to use but they all learnt a lot about the serious dangers carbon monoxide presents and the steps to take to eliminate them.
Holly’s poster entry was fantastic, and we are all very proud of her.
Known as the silent killer because you can’t see it, smell it or taste it, accidental – and therefore preventable - CO poisoning is responsible for around 40 deaths, 200 hospitalisations each year. In the UK, there are more than 4,000 visits to Accident and & Emergency for treatment of CO poisoning – which can often lead to lasting neurological damage.
Symptoms of CO poisoning are often confused with flu, especially in winter, as they include severe headaches, a sore throat, dizziness, coughing, feeling sick, and a general lack of energy.
If you suspect you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, you should open all windows to ventilate, evacuate the property and call 0800 111 999, the national gas emergency number.