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email this page to a friendFOLLOWING the recent death of a Silsden man the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is alerting the public to the importance of having all domestic gas appliances regularly checked and serviced at this time of year.
Initial findings of the HSE's investigation into the tragic incident point to the likely cause of the fifty-nine year olds death as being carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as a result of a blockage on an open-flued gas fire.
At a time of year when gas fires and boilers are being widely brought back into use as colder weather returns, CO poisoning caused by poorly maintained or inexpertly installed equipment is an ever-present risk.
David Powell, HSE Principal Inspector of the Gas Safety team said: "CO poisoning kills around 30 people each year. This is 30 too many and the HSE is working constantly with CORGI, TRANSCO and the Department of Health to cut this death toll dramatically.
"All domestic gas appliances need to be checked regularly - at least every 12 months - by a CORGI registered gas installer, even if there are no obvious signs of equipment failure. CO is not called the 'silent killer' for nothing."
"The symptoms for CO poisoning are very common, but if you see sooting and condensation around your appliance, or big orange flames inside, your appliance could be leaking carbon monoxide and you need to have it checked. Better still, have it checked and serviced anyway before any problems occur. It could be a life-saving decision."
Below are several steps householders can take to reduce the risk of CO poisoning:
Ensure that gas appliances are checked by a CORGI-qualified gas fitter every 12 months
Do not attempt to fix any gas appliance yourself
If building work is taking place near a gas appliance, make sure that it will not make it unsafe
Consider buying a CO alarm, but remember alarms are no substitute for making sure the appliances are safe
To find a CORGI registered engineer, or to report an unsafe installation, CORGI can be contacted on 0870 401 2300.
Your views:
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I would like to let you know additional information on the issue of Carbon monoxide Poisoning that I think may be of interest to you.
Almost all of the focus in discussing Carbon Monoxide incidents surrounds prevention by inspecting furnaces and installing detectors but I wanted to highlight another aspect of this problem.
When a Carbon Monoxide poisoning victim calls paramedics or goes to A&E, they are rarely diagnosed with Carbon Monoxide poisoning unless they are brought in from a fire. This is because the early symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning often resemble flu or food poisoning. The victims are often discharged and told to go home which may be a death sentence. In many cases, there are other victims in the same environment that could also have been saved if the initial diagnosis had been made.
In addition to Carbon Monoxide poisoning symptoms not being obvious, there is another reason that the proper diagnosis is not made. Traditionally, the only means of determining if a patient has CO toxicity is through an invasive blood sample analyzed by a CO-Oximeter. The facts that this test is invasive, costly and time consuming, limits when it is utilized to only obvious cases involving fire or suicide victims.
Another aspect of Carbon Monoxide poisoning that should be better understood is the myth that death is the only adverse outcome. There have been numerous published studies that conclude that Carbon Monoxide toxicity leads to permanent damage to the heart and brain.
A new non-invasive handheld device that measures the Carbon Monoxide level in the blood has recently become available enabling a paramedic or A&E nurse to assess Carbon Monoxide toxicity of a patient in seconds without drawing any blood. Very few A&E departments currently have this device and no ambulance crews carry them. The reasons given for why this equipment is not readily available are lack of funding and lack of awareness. This device is sold for less than £2,400 which when you consider that this will save lives is a small amount to pay.
The company I am employed by is responsible for this new Carbon Monoxide monitoring device. We are trying to alert the medical community of its availability so that more Carbon Monoxide poisoning cases can be properly diagnosed, avoiding further unnecessary tragedies.
Jane Lovell - Basingstoke
