Carbon monoxide: What you need to know
Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer. Colourless and orderless, it leads to 40 fatalities a year, with more than 400 people hospitalised as a result of inhaling the gas.
This week is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, organised to educate people of the dangers and remind them to keep up to date with vital safety checks.
It is estimated that one in five UK homes have unsafe appliances, putting them at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Appliances that create Carbon Monoxide, also referred to as CO, include gas boilers, gas cookers, gas or paraffin heaters, wood, gas and coal fires and portable generators. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), using barbeques or camping stoves inside, and turning on vehicle or lawn mower engines in your garage can also cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Landlords’ responsibilities
As a landlord of rented homes, you must have an annual gas safety check carried out on all gas appliances you provide, and all related gas flues.
This work must be performed by a Gas Safe Registered engineer, and once the check has been performed, you must ensure you receive a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate (or CP12 as it is often referred to) from the engineer.
In England and Wales you are required to have carbon monoxide detectors in any room with a fuel burning appliance, although there is one exception to this in England, in circumstances in which the only appliance in the room is a gas cooker.
You must also take immediate action should your tenants report a faulty alarm.
Signs there might be carbon monoxide present in a property include yellow or orange flames (instead of blue flames) in a gas fire. Soot could also be a sign, as could pilot lights that frequently blow out.
What are the common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
Symptoms can vary, but according to the NHS, signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include tension type headaches, confusion, muscle aches, dizziness, nausea and feeling weakness.
Other more severe symptoms could include breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
More information
You can find out more about carbon monoxide in our members’ guide, which also outlines landlords’ other gas safety obligations.
In addition, gas safety is a topic covered in several NRLA training courses, including our Property Standards eLearning course.
For help in keeping on top of your gas safety obligations why not sign up to Safe2. Part of the NRLA family, Safe2 is a digital platform providing of all forms of property safety certification. A one-stop-shop for all things compliance, it sends alerts when documents are due to expire, organises inspections and repairs and issues certificates. All NRLA members are entitled to exclusive discounts when using any of Safe2’s services. Visit nrla.org.uk/safe2