Whether oil, gas, coal or wood, the campaigners want the installation of a CO alarm to be mandatory with the use of any appliance.
A recent House of Commons reception gave parliamentarians the opportunity to see a new hard-hitting film, which graphically illustrates why CO is an indiscriminate threat, which can kill in minutes. It has been produced by the Katie Haines Memorial Trust, which was set up by the family of 31-year-old Katie, who drowned in her bath in 2010, when overcome by the deadly gas from a faulty boiler.
Gordon Samuel, the father of Katie Haines and chair of the charity said: “Katie was a journalist and if this had happened to any of us she would have moved heaven and earth to raise awareness. We won’t rest until everyone in the UK understands the dangers of CO, and takes steps to ensure they don’t fall victim to it. This is why we are calling on the government – and all political parties – to wake-up, take notice and change the law as soon as possible.”
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) says 40 people die every year from accidental CO poisoning and 4,000 people are treated at A&E Departments with CO symptoms, which can lead to brain damage and strokes.
Make CO Alarms Law campaign manager, Gail van Dijk of Plumb and Parts Center said: “We hope politicians will act decisively because this is a matter of life and death. “Scotland and Northern Ireland have already changed the law and we are calling on the Government to follow suit and change the law in England and Wales. With the General Election just weeks away, we are also calling on all political parties to make a clear manifesto commitment to change the law and raise awareness of the deadly threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
View Wake up! Buy a Carbon Monoxide Alarm! on YouTube: http://youtu.be/W3aCJ9BBW_s