Your GAS Safety

Carbon Monoxide Kills 

Understand the risks and learn how to protect your family.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a silent killer. It can infiltrate your home through the most apparently harmless devices, like your boiler or cooker. It is impossible to see or smell, yet it is easy to protect yourself and your family from the risks.

These pages are a guide to carbon monoxide and how to recognise if it’s present in your home. Too many people die each year in the UK from carbon monoxide poisoning, and many become chronically ill. By reading the information contained here, you can stop yourself and your loved ones becoming a carbon monoxide statistic.

A few simple steps, including an annual gas safety check with a CORGI registered installer, could prevent needless deaths or illness as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon Monoxide Is a Highly Poisonous Gas 

Failure to maintain your gas appliances correctly can lead to a Carbon Monoxide leak.
 
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a chemical compound of carbon and oxygen. It has no colour, taste or smell and is extremely poisonous. CO is formed whenever carbon, such as gas, coal, wood or oil, are burned with an insufficient air supply. This is called incomplete combustion. When CO is inhaled it prevents absorption of oxygen into the body and can result in oxygen starvation. This can have disastrous results, including death, depending on the concentration of CO in the body.

Gas stoves, fires and boilers, gas powered water heaters, paraffin heaters, solid fuel powered stoves, boilers and room heaters are all capable of producing CO if not appropriately installed and maintained.

Carbon Monoxide can seep into properties via shared flues and chimneys and people may be poisoned by Carbon Monoxide produced by an appliance from next-door. There have also been cases where gas fires have been vented into cavity walls and led to the poisoning of people living above those using the fire.

Possible causes of incomplete combustion include:

  • Problems with the appliance, such as poor maintenance or servicing
  • Incorrect installation/commissioning of the appliance
  • Lack of ventilation around the appliance

Failure to maintain your gas appliances correctly can lead to a carbon monoxide leak.

Recognising The Symptoms Of Carbon Monoxide 

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include severe headaches, dizziness, feeling sick, and a general lack of energy. For this reason, these symptoms are often confused with flu, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Our blood has a component called haemoglobin, which normally absorbs oxygen in our lungs and carries it to the rest of the body. But haemoglobin absorbs carbon monoxide 240 times more easily than it does oxygen.

So when we inhale carbon monoxide from the air, it is this gas, rather than oxygen, that attaches itself to the haemoglobin, starving the body of oxygen. The smaller the person, the more quickly the body can become overcome by the effects of carbon monoxide.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can easily be confused with:
 

  • Flu
  • Severe headaches
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • General lethargy

Severe carbon monoxide poisoning makes the body turn a cherry-red colour. Unlike lack of oxygen due to choking, for example, the body does not turn blue (cyanosis). Instead, the victim’s skin will be pink or pale with bright red lips.

The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are tiredness, headaches and chest or stomach pains. If you experience any of these symptoms while using a gas appliance, you need urgent medical attention.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can affect the victim’s mental ability before she or he is even aware that there is a problem. Any effort that increases the body’s need for oxygen only makes the problem worse, rapidly leading to collapse and potentially death.

Spotting The Signs Of Carbon Monoxide 

Fortunately, although you can’t see or smell the gas, it’s easy to see when there is a strong risk of it being produced. Simply look at your gas or heating appliances.

You can tell if a gas appliance is working correctly by looking at the flame. If it’s bright blue, it’s healthy. If it’s yellowy orange, this is evidence of a possible carbon monoxide presence.

Other signs to look for include brownish-yellow stains around the appliance, pilot lights that frequently blow out and heavy condensation in the room where the appliance is installed.

You are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if:
 

  • Your appliance was poorly installed
  • Your appliance is not working properly
  • Your appliance has not been safety checked and serviced regularly
  • There is not enough fresh air in the room
  • Your chimney or flue is blocked
  • You allow illegal gas workers to install or maintain your appliances

It is extremely dangerous to block a gas appliance’s air vents. Blocking ventilation or misusing your appliance – for example, using a cooker as a heating appliance – can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Get Your Appliances Safety Checked Every Year 

You must have your gas appliances safety-checked by a CORGI registered installer every year. This is the only way to guarantee that they are working correctly. Never allow anyone without a valid CORGI registration number to work on any of your gas appliances.

Appliances that are properly installed, serviced and adequately ventilated are efficient and safe. To avoid the accidental production of carbon monoxide and to ensure that you and your family are safe, you must:
 

  • Get your gas appliances checked annually by a CORGI registered Installer.
  • Make sure rooms and heaters are well ventilated.
  • Have your chimneys and flues checked regularly.
  • Buy a carbon Monoxide alarm. A carbon monoxide alarm will measure the concentration of carbon monoxide in a room and sound an alarm if the concentration is higher than permitted. 

A CORGI registered installer is a gas expert. He or she will have undergone extensive training to qualify for registration.

The majority of work carried out by illegal gas workers has been found to have serious safety defects.

By using a tradesperson who is not CORGI registered, you are literally taking your life in your own hands.

Remember: CORGI registration does not automatically cover all areas of gas work. Most installers specialise in one or more areas, so check that they are qualified to carry out the work you are asking them to do; for example, fitting a boiler. You can check with CORGI’s customer services team or look on the back of the installer’s ID card.

CORGI Carbon Monoxide Report 

CORGI has released a report that pinpoints the geographical areas of the UK and the groups of people most vulnerable to carbon monoxide exposure. 

The report shows that between January 2006 and April 2007, there were 102 carbon monoxide incidents, claiming 50 lives and causing 218, often long term.  The absence of centralised reporting as well as undiagnosed cases passing through the healthcare system means the overall figures will be much higher.

The Worst Hit Regions:
The Midlands, North East, Wales and Yorkshire are the worst affected regions in the UK, reporting the most incidents per head of population.

Vulnerable Groups:
The elderly and the young have been identified as vulnerable groups, while tenants have also been highlighted due to the risks they face at the hands of lazy or ignorant private landlords.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Fighting The Cowboys 

CORGI has carried out the industry’s first research into the illegal gas market and concluded that there could be as many as 20,000 people working illegally on gas in the UK.

Along with the majority of genuine members, CORGI is very concerned about illegal gas workers. With Carbon Monoxide poisoning claiming needless lives we must work together to put a halt to illegal and therefore unsafe gas workers.

What Is Illegal Gas Work? 

Illegal work can be defined simply as gas work carried out for gain by a person not working on behalf of a CORGI registered business. Such work is far more likely to be unsafe and, in such cases, the illegal gas worker far less likely to offer support to the customer in the event of an incident.

“Full illegals” - people who carry out gas work without having any training – the handymen who so often appear on television programs like Rogue Traders.

“Lapsed” illegal workers - previously held a CORGI registration and have received training as a part of that membership.  With the constant development of the gas industry, ACoP-level knowledge would leave a member with significant knowledge gap regarding the latest legislation and regulations, which would impact upon their ability to work safely on gas.

“Part Time” illegal gas worker - an operative of a CORGI registered business with valid ACS competencies, this illegal carries out “private jobs”, typically for friends and family. Although the work is likely to be safe, installations cannot be notified, there is no insurance or warrantee support available for the customer and, as such workers rarely inform their employers, the customer will not receive support from the registered business should an issue develop.

What Are CORGI Doing? 

CORGI is committed to tackling this serious gas safety issue:

CORGI have launched a 'dobbing line' - 0800 915 0491. This hotline is for CORGI installers and members of the public to report suspected illegal gas work. Whilst individuals are able to remain anonymous, CORGI do need as much information as possible to track down those reported, such as names and addresses of both the person working on gas without CORGI registration, and any of their customers.

CORGI have mobilised a Hit Squad.  They have formed a nationwide team dedicated to dealing with the illegal problem. Their role is to work with un-registered gas workers to encourage CORGI membership and safe, legal gas work. 

CORGI fully investigate reports and where applicable pass details to the HSE. Last year 2,642 illegal gas workers were reported to CORGI and, once these were investigated, 844 were then reported to the HSE for prosecution.

 

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