Carbon Monoxide Incident Report 2008/09
Gas cookers significantly contributed to a rise in fatalities caused by Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning across Great Britain from 1 July 2008 to 30th June 2009, reports the UK's leading gas safety charity, The Gas Safety Trust.
Seven of the 17 deaths caused by CO were associated with cooker appliances, the highest number since 2000/1. Four of the seven deaths were linked with enclosed grill models that did not have automatic shut-off valves, which activate when the grill is used incorrectly with the grill door shut. In contrast, the report also identifies gas cookers left on and open for prolonged periods in a small or poorly ventilated kitchen, perhaps to provide an additional source of heat, as an area of misuse that needs to be addressed.
The 13th annual CO incident report, compiled from information supplied via Downstream Incident Data Report (DIDR) forms completed and submitted by investigators on behalf of the Gas Industry and in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), reviews incidents relating to mains natural gas and piped LPG.
