Students play it safe with the help of science

THE science of safety was on the minds of Colin Dineen and Jennifer Falvey, third-year students from Causeway Comprehensive School in Co Kerry, in the BT Young Scientist and Technology competition.

They were struck by the death from carbon monoxide poisoning of a guest in a hotel in Kinsale, Co Cork, in 2010 and got to thinking about how it might have been prevented.

The result is a three-in-one safety gadget they say could be easily installed in the exterior wall of any room. It uses a standard carbon monoxide detector alarm, but connects it to a ventilation system — a simple fan that draws air from outside and blows it into the affected room to dilute the poisonous gas.