The heating industry, utility companies and the government have been urged to play a greater part in educating householders on the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO), as pressure increases to reduce the number of deaths and health problems caused by the deadly gas.
Campaigners, industry experts and scientists had their say on domestic CO safety at an All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) debate in April.
Call to action!
Campaigners at the APPCPG debate asked the government to fund an advertising campaign about the dangers of CO.
Stephanie Trotter of CO Gas Safety said: “Surely we can afford £2m for a television campaign to draw the public’s attention to the fact CO can kill in one to two minutes.”
CO Gas Safety is circulating a petition until 20 September 2016, calling for prime time TV warnings. CLICK HERE to sign the petition!
The ‘silent killer’
Carbon Monoxide (CO) can be emitted from faulty cooking/heating appliances powered by any carbon fuel, including gas, coal, wood, oil, diesel and petrol. It cannot be sensed using human senses, and less than 2% of CO in the air can kill in one to three minutes.
Despite this, CO regulation is lacking in England and Wales. While landlords are required to fit and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where solid fuel is used, there are no such regulations for gas appliances.
Chair of the APPCOG Barry Sheerman MP conceded that many felt the government “has not gone far and fast enough” in tackling the problem, because solid fuel only accounts for 8% of English properties.
Awareness and education key to prevention
Environmental consultant Professor Paul Harrison said: “More awareness is necessary among those with power and influence and among those without either of those. Gas engineers and health visitors are two groups who should be vigilant as they visit households. If they suspect a faulty boiler or symptoms of poisoning, they should report it.”
Speakers also expressed concern that current heating engineer training was not providing sufficient understanding of CO’s dangers, meaning that engineers did not spot the signs during servicing.
Professor Harrison warned that medical professionals were not adequately trained to spot the signs of acute CO poisoning, which can cause headaches, nausea and neurological and cardiovascular issues.
Dr Andy Shaw of the Department of the Built Environment at Liverpool John Moores University added to the calls for more medical research: “We need continued research into the health effects of chronic, low levels of CO exposure.”
CLICK HERE to sign the petition!
Logic Certification delivers a range of CO safety courses, for gas installers, landlords and other responsible parties:
CMDDA1 - Carbon Dioxide/Monoxide appliance testing (for gas installers)
Gas safety awareness in social housing
Gas safety management in social housing