Law May Force Gas Detector Installation

The construction sector may soon be at the forefront of more stringent safety measures to tackle the danger posed by a deadly, invisible gas that is in daily use in thousands of households.

As a probe continues into last Tuesday's suspected double carbon monoxide tragedy in Co Londonderry, it has emerged that a shocked Stormont Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster will meet her DUP party colleague, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, to "determine the legislation required to make carbon monoxide detectors compulsory in new builds".

Such a move may be necessary to reassure frightened householders, especially as the Health and Safety Executive (HSENI) is now also investigating another possible 'gassing' case on the north coast.

While HSENI said it was continuing to carry out checks in other premises in Castlerock and Coleraine, the Portmore apartment block In Portstewart has now comes under the spotlight.

Aaron Davidson and Neil McFerran, both 18, died in an apartment in Castlerock last Tuesday while their friend, Matthew Gaw, survived.

Yesterday, police officers and HSENI staff forced their way into a shop in Coleraine that is thought to be central to the probe.

They took a number of items away for examination after they entered George Brown's Calor Shop in the town, just hours after HSENI issued a warning to the store's customers to switch off all gas appliances that had been supplied or serviced by the business as a precaution.

Around 200 customers have already called the Health and Safety Executive's emergency helpline since Monday evening.

The HSENI also revealed a liquid petroleum gas appliance in the flat where the teenagers died was defective.

As a result of the tragedy, there has been a huge increase in demand for carbon monoxide gas detectors, with some stores reported 'sold out'.

While, at present there is no compulsory requirement to install a carbon monoxide detector in the UK, the idea of installing these detectors in home when they are being built is gaining credibility, with the MP for the Castlerock area, Gregory Campbell commenting already that people are very "concerned".

Last week, in an unrealted case, a London building company and one of its directors from Wembley were fined a total of £15,000 after leaving two customers at risk of death or serious illness from exposure to carbon monoxide fumes.

Between 3 September and 8 December 2009, Rushi Construction (UK) Limited, owned by Vikas Patel, was building an extension to a home in Westwood Drive, Little Chalfont, in Buckinghamshire.

Part of the extension was built around the flue outlet of a gas boiler, but the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that no 'Gas Safe' registered engineer had been involved in the gas fitting work.

See: Builder Fined Over Carbon Monoxide

(BMcC/GK)