Bereaved dad calls for mandatory carbon monoxide testing in bid to save lives
A charity's warning millions are at risk of being poisoned by their gas appliances
A father from Lymington, who lost his daughter to carbon monoxide poisoning, is calling for a change in the law to help save lives.
Research by the charity CO Gas Safety has found around 30 people die each year in the UK, with around 4,000 treated in emergency departments.
Paul Overton's 11-year old-daughter Katie suffocated due to a faulty boiler in their rented home in Southsea in 2003.
He's met with MPs calling for it to be made mandatory for gas emergency services to test for carbon monoxide levels during callouts.
Speaking to us, Paul said:
"This should not have happened, it was completely preventable. If that boiler had been serviced when it should've been serviced, Katie would still be here.
"Even now, a lot of doctors don't recognise the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, they'll diagnose patients with something like flu and send them away.
"So they're going back home and they're still being poisoned.
The 60 year old says the cost shouldn't put you off getting your wood burners and boilers serviced either:
"Even if it's £100 or £200 a year, so what? Compared to the cost of your life, or that of your wife or children, you'll find the money."
CO Gas Safety's study has found that while more than 80% of people say they have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted, 1 in 4 of them have no idea if it is working because they don’t check.
Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) did not replace their alarm when the batteries ran out because they either forgot, couldn’t be bothered or couldn’t afford to buy a new one.
The study also found that 1 in 7 people fail to have their gas boiler and appliance serviced every year, and a worrying number have never had them checked
High levels of CO can kill within minutes while long-term low-level exposure to the toxic gas can have lasting and life-limiting consequences including brain damage and heart problems.
More than a third of Brits believe low-level exposure of CO is fine to live with, while two-thirds said they were unaware it can lead to heart problems and hearing loss. Almost half said they had never been told about the risks.
People are being urged to ensure they have their appliances installed and maintained regularly by properly qualified people, have CO alarms to EN50291 standard fitted and ensure their home has adequate ventilation.