Installers are being urged to back a campaign which aims to save lives by changing the law on carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.
Plumb Center and manufacturer Honeywell are leading a campaign to change the law, so that an alarm would be required in England and Wales whenever a carbon-burning appliance is installed. This is already law in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
There is an e-petition at
www.no-to-co.co.uk and the companies are calling for people to sign it. When 100,000 signatures have been received a debate will be triggered in the House of Commons and a change in the law will be step closer.
According to figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) around 40 people a year die from accidental CO poisoning in England and Wales and around 4,000 are admitted to hospital with symptoms that could lead to brain damage and strokes.
Gail van Dijk from Plumb Center said: 'One death from CO poisoning is one too many. We know thousands are admitted to hospital each year but the true level of poisoning isn't fully known.'
'We've been overwhelmed by the support from trade bodies, boiler manufacturers, politicians and ordinary people. Now we must convert that support into names on our petition. We hope that as an industry we can come together, and stop these needless deaths,' she added.
According to the Department for Communities and Local Government 84% of UK homes have smoke detectors but the Council for Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring (CoGDEM) reports that only around 15% have CO alarms.
