27 October 2006
With the Indian summer finally disappearing and the cold nights beginning to draw in, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging consumers to check all domestic gas appliances for damage and leaks in an attempt to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Badly installed and badly maintained gas appliances could be suffering from gas leaks which could release the 'silent killer' into consumers' homes. Each year, 20-30 people die from CO poisoning where the leak has come from a domestic appliance, such as a gas cooker or an electric fire.
CO is known as the silent killer because it is undetectable by taste, sight or smell. Householders can look out for tell tale signs like yellow flames from gas burning appliances (except for gas fires where the effect is deliberate), soot deposits and a pilot light which frequently goes out.
Possible symptoms of CO poisoning are often difficult to spot because they are minor complaints which can be attributed to other problems. These include breathlessness, headaches and drowsiness.
The HSE is also urging the public to make sure the appliances have a good air supply flowing around them and to have their appliances checked by a Corgi registered technician. Many of the appliances will not have been used for several months, so it is important to have a professional check it is still safely operational.
Geoffrey Podger, HSE chief executive, said: "Fuel gas is safe, but if appliances are not properly installed and adequately maintained by a competent Corgi-registered installer, the gas may not burn properly, meaning CO fumes are released."
Mr Podger also commented that the number of fatalities from CO poisoning could be hugely reduced if "people understood the risks and took sensible precautions".
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