AGE Cymru and Wales & West Utilities' have teamed up to give older people in Penarth advice on staying safe in their homes and gardens this summer.

Age Cymru runs HandyVan - a home safety and security service for older people in Penarth, which Wales & West Utilities sponsors.

HandyVan visits the homes of 600 local older people every year to help make them safe and secure.

Says Sean Overbury, the HandyVan Fitter, who is an expert on home safety and security: “When the sun is shining and the weather is hot we usually spend more time outdoors and in the garden.

“It’s the perfect chance, while it’s dry, to catch up on some jobs like painting the outside of the house, staining the fence and mending window frames.

“But with this increase in activity we also need to be taking some simple steps to make sure that we’re enjoying the summer safely.

“Basic things like making sure that we’ve got a residual current device (RCD) plugged in when we’re using the lawnmower and power tools are simple and easy things to do.

“It’s also important to make sure that we’re locking our doors and windows when we go out and at night, as well as drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day.

“And if the warm weather entices you to have a barbeque – make sure you don’t use it in an enclosed space and definitely not inside.

“Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas created when fossil fuels, such as gas and solid fuels like charcoal and wood, burn.

“Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer because you can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but it kills and seriously injures a number of people every year.”

For more advice or details about the HandyVan service, contact Age Cymru on 029 2043 1555 or email handyvan@agecymru.org.uk or visit agecymru.org.uk/handyvan.