Prevention Of Deaths Caused By Gas Poisoning

EDM number 462 in 2007-08, proposed by Bob Russell on 04/12/2007.
Categorised under the topics of Death and Oil, petrol and natural gas.

That this House notes with concern that there were 102 carbon monoxide poisoning incidents, claiming 50 lives and causing 218 injuries, between January 2006 and April 2007; recognises that a common cause of death through carbon monoxide poisoning comes from faulty or poorly maintained gas appliances, and can be prevented by having appliances checked annually by a CORGI registered installer; notes that while 90 per cent. of homes now have a smoke alarm installed, only 31 per cent. have an audible carbon monoxide alarm; acknowledges that an illegal gas worker is 32 times more likely to be involved in a serious carbon monoxide incident than a CORGI registered installer; considers that there could be 20,000 illegal gas installers working in the UK; further notes that there are no restrictions on illegal gas workers buying gas appliances; supports the work of the Gas Industry Alliance to introduce voluntary restrictions to make it harder for illegal gas workers to operate; further supports wholeheartedly the initiative taken by the Wolseley Group to stop the sale of gas-carrying parts to non-CORGI registered installers from 2008 through their Parts Centre stores, and urges more retailers to follow their example; believes that a scheme similar to the television licensing scheme where retailers have to log the details of consumers who buy gas appliances would significantly reduce the ability of unregistered gas installers to work illegally; and calls on the Government to work with CORGI to develop such a scheme to help significantly reduce the number of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents.

This motion has been signed by a total of 61 MPs.