The lack of adequate expertise of the individual gas fitters is alarming. A Birmingham survey, undertaken by CORGI itself found that one third of 143 appliances, given safety certificates by CORGI gas installers and then checked later by CORGI were found to have defects. The public must be informed of four preventative measures not one.
How to Protect Against Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
What the public should know is:-
1. Chimneys and flues must be swept regularly and appliances checked once a year by a fully qualified engineer/sweep. Ask about training & experience - it's your money and your life. Ensure that your gas fitter uses a flue gas analyser to check for the silent killer, CO gas. Please note that Transco, (responsibility for gas emergencies), has no equipment to trace CO - like sending someone out to trace radioactivity without a Geiger counter!
2.Do not block vents. Make sure you have some ventilation and wear extra clothes/bedclothes to keep warm.
3.As an extra safeguard buy a Carbon Monoxide detector. A battery operated CO detector is especially useful to take with you abroad.
A British Standard was published on 1st March 1996, (number BS 7860) - Kitemarked products are now available. Cost:- Around £30.00
Manufacturers, Dicon, (Tel. 01242 516241), El (Tel. 00353 61471277),
Kidde (Models 900-0081, 900-0089, (Digital Display & battery operated) & 900-0090
(Tel. 01844 218488) and SF Detection (Tel. 01202 645577), Schlumberger (Tel. 01475 745131)
and some First Alert /BRK (Tel. 01635 528 080 only available through electrical
wholesalers - product code WICO) products have Kitemarks but beware of old stock).
An independant distributor charging slightly more is Senco (Tel. 01554 756756).
We do not recommend card type CO indicators as they have no audible warning of CO gas and do not conform to British standards.
4.Be aware that low levels of CO exposure over a long period can cause brain damage. Doctors can mistake CO symptoms for 'flu or other common conditions so insist on a test for CO. Please note that some doctors' surgeries have equipment, (sometimes called a Smokelysler or ToxCo), to analyse breath for CO. This is easy, painless and gives an instant result. If this shows CO a blood test may be required.
But remember that fresh air quickly reduces CO in a live body so, unless breath or blood is taken at the scene, in the ambulance or within 24 hours or so, a test may not show CO, even when CO has poisoned.
Hyperbaric oxygen, (i.e. under pressure) can prevent lasting damage.
İStephanie Trotter 1999
