Gas Safety Trust Report Reveals Increase In Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The Gas Safety Trust has produced a new report that has shown a significant rise during 2010 in the number of fatalities as of result of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
The Carbon Monoxide Hotspot Report 2011, published by the Gas Safety Trust, reveals figures of gas related carbon monoxide poisoning incidents that were obtained from media reports obtained from all over the United Kingdom.
Fifty incidents involving 105 people were recorded in respect of carbon monoxide poisoning during the 12-month period of 1st July 2010 and 30th June 2011. Twenty-five individuals were killed as a direct result of CO poisoning and 80 were received non-fatal injuries. These figures show a threefold rise on the number of deaths when compared with previous reports in 2010.
The report also publicized that forty eight percent of households are failing to get their gas appliances serviced on regular basis. The report also identified that gas appliances were not the major contributory factor of CO poisoning, as defective flues and chimneys also produced dangerous situations.
Blocked chimneys were also recognized as a significant danger in the report as these flue gas passages are often overlooked. Carbon monoxide poisoning from blocked flues led to the deaths of 6 people and one serious injury was also reported by the Gas Safety Trust.
The 2011 assessment also determined that forty four percent of property owners have neglected to have their chimney swept. The report also highlighted that the cost of sweeping chimneys is no more expensive than servicing a gas appliance and therefore is not a factor restraining householders from following best practice.
The period of highest risk of CO poisoning occurred from October through to March, when seventy two percent of carbon monoxide related incidents took place. This figure spiralled in December 2010 when ice and snow covered much of the United Kingdom and was also the coldest December for over a century.
Householders who were alerted by their CO alarm to potential carbon monoxide incidents never suffered any fatalities or serious injury as of result. The Gas Safety Trust stated that more people must be made aware of the safety benefits of a CO alarm to prevent death or serious injury from the hidden killer.
The context of the report emphasizes the need for heating professionals to check for correct levels of products of combustion, when installing, servicing or maintaining domestic gas appliances, and in particular the effectiveness of any associated flue or chimney. Consequently, it would be advantageous to check levels of ambient CO levels, using a flue gas analyser, in rooms and voids where a chimney or flue passes through.
A significant increase in ambient CO levels may indicate a passage of flue gases into a normally safe area of a building, that might be due to any number of reasons including blockages and material corrosion, and must be investigated before the gas appliance is put back into operation.