If you’re a commercial property owner anywhere in the UK, you’ll be interested to know that as of October 1 (2013), Scottish building regulations will require carbon monoxide alarms to be fitted when a new or replacement boiler or other heating appliance is to be installed in a dwelling and other buildings with bedrooms.
In translation:
If you run a hotel, a care facility, a Bed & Breakfast (or the like) in Scotland, you will be required, by law, to install carbon monoxide alarms when new boilers or gas appliances (heaters, cookers, fires etc.) are fitted in your property.
The aim of the change in legislation is to limit both the number of fatal and non-fatal CO2 related incidents by increasing the number of detectors in Scottish properties.
Combustion heating appliances fuelled by solid fuel, oil or gas can all cause carbon monoxide poisoning. The bbc.co.uk reports that at least 50 people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK (many of the deaths avoidable), and there are also plenty who end up in hospital suffering the effects of CO2 poisoning.
The number 50 may not sound like a big deal when considering the 63 million people populating the UK but it’s still 50 too many.
The question is – how long before the rest of the UK toughens up its respective carbon monoxide laws?
Perhaps it’s time to think ahead?
If you were just about to contact your commercial boiler service to organise a heating installation it might be a good idea to get a CO2 alarm installed (if you don’t already have one) at the same time. You could be saving yourself effort (time and money) in the long run and, although the risk is small, in the name of safety it’s the right thing to do.
For more information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.
Sources: bbc.co.uk – “Carbon monoxide alarm law toughened” and the safetycrew.co.uk – “Scottish law makes CO alarms mandatory with new boilers.
