CO-Gas Safety The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society |
Business Review |
for the year ended 31 July 2024 |
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Aug-23 |
01.08.23 Clean Air Bill seems no Conservatives have signed, not even those on APPCOG and nor Barry Sheerman MP (Labour). |
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02.08.23 Worked on and then sent the letter to Kevin Tse, Rebecca Pickett, (Ofgem) Sarah Newton and Sarah Albon (HSE) about MOU and safety issues. Hopefully made the case that testing for CO is a safety issue and so HSE and Ofgem should discuss it and take action. |
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11.08.23 We were contacted up by a concerned person KH who was worried about risk of explosion due to invasion by tree roots. Could squeeze a gas pipe causing a build-up and explosion. She was a risk assessor. Interesting case. MP is Ian Duncan-Smith. |
Logged into RHS website and asked what trees are suitable for pavements – which ones with tap roots – explained possible danger of pinching plastic gas pipes leading to an explosion. Apparently 41 gas explosions since 2020. Told KH about Adam Forrest Independent journalist who had contacted us some time ago about explosions. Update. Heard in November that Cadent has a good guidance document about this and sent KH the link to it. |
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16.08.23 Wrote to Woman’s Hour re Listener’s week and suggested CO covered soon. |
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17.08.23 Heard from Pierre Chays in Jersey and finally his boat is in the water. Willing to film and test. Made the point that we need PPM of CO on the floating quays. |
Submitted CO-Gas Safety’s opinions to the VCMA consultation. |
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18.08.23 To our surprise, CO-Gas Safety was asked by Centrica for training centres for investigations into gas incidents. Roland Johns responded with S Gas. We sent this suggestion on to Centrica. |
Also wrote to Stephen Critchlow of HSE. Centrica is going to ask EU Skills if they would help set up a good course for gas expert court witnesses. |
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22.08.23 Read a report about over 20 people were affected by CO in a refugee camp. Wrote to Innocent Magambi info@inuaadvocacy.org about CO in refugee camps and asked if he had any contacts with the UN. |
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Received answer from HSE re a FOI request about the number of investigators and their qualifications. There are two. |
13 investigations into carbon monoxide (CO) and gas incidents were started by HSE in England & Wales in 2022/23 – 9 related to suspected Carbon Monoxide poisoning. |
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29.08.23 Virtual meeting with Stoke College re Gas Safety week and CO Awareness week. |
The college wanted to feature death of Matthew Nixon, Registered Gas Engineer aged 22. He was a registered gas engineer for 6 years who died of CO in 2010 while using a petrol generator to power his tools. Matthew’s sister willing to help. |
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We recommended to APPCOG that they ask Wayne Merry of Cadent to give the presentation he gave us to the next APPCOG meeting and also at the next COMED meeting. |
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Wayne Merry of Cadent gave CO-Gas Safety permission to share his slides with HSE. |
Sent an email to all the victims I have emails for about the ME Association and update on GDNs testing. |
Heard from Avril Samuels that sadly they don’t want to be involved in a revival of a victim group under APPCOG. |
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Sep-23 |
02.09.23 Wrote to Charon of NCOAA in USA to report that fire fighters at APPCOG virtual meeting said the event in the USA was a huge success and there was possible funding from CPSC. Congratulated her. |
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Queried why report by Liz Twist MP Prepare, Practice & Protect did not mention testing for CO – only mentioned monitors, which were dismissed as too expensive. But we found one that was about £84.00. Gaelan Komen kindly said he would raise it with Cadent. |
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Sent material to Gaelan Komen. Suggested he sought help from Adrian McConnell and talked to Tom Woolley. Much discussion by email about what should be done re CO. |
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Heard from Jess Mills, a researcher for BBC Morning Life. A great deal of time taken up providing background information and case studies. BBC seemed to want only one situation, namely a tenant who did not have a gas safety certificate and had had proved CO. But lack of testing means no proved CO. |
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06.09.23 Received Graeme Robertson’s press release re free servicing by RGM and sent to APPCOG and Sarah Hill of GSR to ask if other firms would do the same. |
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11.09.23 Received invitation to make submission to UKEIC about CO and vulnerable customers so re-sent previous submission https://hub.ukeic.com/proposal/2332 making the point that Cadent, NGN and SGN actually doing this now and we could help further. |
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Case study of Fred Jackson Philips from CO now on our website on his birthday – 12.09.23. |
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Supported free webinars about CO by the Gas Safe Charity. |
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22.09.23 Sent consultation to Graeme Kelly of Ofgem re smart metering. |
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Wrote to Holly.Topley-Brown@hullcc.gov.uk re two diving cases in Greece and asked if our details could be passed on to the families. Attached the New Zealand diving case. |
Received email from Coroner’s officer re Timothy Saville the diver – sent inquest report to Jenny. 15% carboxyhaemoglobin and 11% for the other diver not enough to be CO as cause of death. |
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23.09.23 Heard from the landlord of our Air B & B in Victoria, Canada when visiting relative. Wrote to him about his gas cooker and CO alarm as, although he had one, there was no number, date, standard or manufacturer on it. Stephanie told him that two of her relatives in Canada had had recent CO alarms from their gas cookers. |
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24.09.23 Wrote to UNRA (United Nations Refugee Agency) re Article '23 escape carbon monoxide poisoning death in Dzaleka Camp' 22.08.23 https://www.maravipost.com/23-escape-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-death-in-dzaleka-camp/ |
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26.09.23 Emailed Wayne asking if we could send his excellent presentation to everyone and anyone without asking each time. He responded that we could. |
Re-sent email sent in July to Caroline Lane HSE suggesting that if GSR was up for relicensing HSE could require the GSR make it easy to obtain the services of a Gas Safe Registered Engineer with CMDDA1, so he/she could test for CO & provide PPM of CO to survivor and medics. |
27.09.23 Wrote to Michael Tomlinson MP to congratulate him on his publicity re his brother Edward, who had died abroad of CO, and ask him to help us with HSE. Then rang up and spoke to Laura at his office so our email wouldn’t be rejected as a non-constituent. Heather and Howard (parents) are both well. Included Wayne’s presentation in my email to Michael Tomlinson MP. |
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Heard from new survivor Rachel Brady. Cadent had found 50 PPM of CO. Willing to do a case study and praised Cadent highly. She gave permission for emails to be sent to Jennifer Wood our database officer. |
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Oct-23 |
Asked Adrian McConnell to see if he could help make the JMLU research public. This research was funded by CORT, (or it may have been called the Gas Safety Trust or the CORGI Trust at the time). |
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Wrote to Kevin Tse of Ofgem about an Ofgem update re data. Asked if Ofgem received any data from the GDNs, particularly Cadent re the testing for CO? |
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Nov-23 |
A very busy month. Looking through the notes, time was spent trying to attend meetings we were not invited to, e.g. COMED and APPCOG. Some of these efforts were successful some not, e.g. COMED (Medical Group under APPCOG) meetings, yet there seems to be nobody to represent survivors. |
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Many emails written asking for protocols e.g. if CO found was survivor given the PPM of CO? We were delighted to learn that it was at least from Cadent but we’d like to relate further as although we have one survivor who told us she did receive PPM of CO, we’d like to understand the procedure followed. We asked for introductions to bodies etc. Many emails ignored. Increase in new survivors and relatives asking us for help. |
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01.11.23 Report about the Thomas Hill death in 2015. |
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12693681/student-death-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-avoidable.html |
Fine of £120,000 for this avoidable death from the Sheriff in a Fatal Accident Inquiry. |
CO alarm sounded three times leading up to the death of Thomas Hill. |
Need for servicing and instruction manuals. Also, no movement of portable heaters. |
Wrote to Jerry Hill, Thomas’ father. |
COMED (medical group under APPCOG) meeting but sadly we were not invited, As far as we know nobody was present to represent survivors/victims/families. |
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06.11.23 Heard news about Ofgem’s increase in VCMA funding from £60 million to £171 million. |
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07.11.23 Attended the ADI webinar. Alzheimer’s Disease International at 1.00. Had written earlier to ask if the meeting could mention the need to prevent CO and how to do this. |
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08.11.23 Health and Social Care Committee Sandy Gill responded with reference to witnesses https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/13597/pdf/ |
Responded with point that all customers need to have homes and appliances tested for CO. |
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10.11.23 Wayne Merry of Cadent convinced data is the answer and we agreed. Sent Wayne NGN’s research, ‘Giving Carbon Monoxide nowhere to hide’ which showed testing could be done in 5-7 minutes (from a trial undertaken in 2011-12). |
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14.11.23 APPCOG stakeholder meeting. |
Tom Woolley sadly ill. Went to the room P and it was very small. Not many people. Suzanne Callington and Wayne from Cadent. Mike Jones from Stoke College. Avril and Gordon and Rob Lyons. |
Wayne gave his presentation which was very good. Stephanie said a few words about the need to test for CO – then Paul which was about the effect CO had on the whole family. It was very sad. |
Suzanne Callington said the prizegiving at the Houses of Parliament had withered on the vine because the parents did not want the expense of attending. Stephanie informed the meeting that CO-Gas Safety had always paid expenses, so surely the GDNs could, especially as it had generous funding from the UIOLI fund from Ofgem? Stephanie also asked how FCOs can decide whether or not to investigate for CO, without first testing for CO using the sweep test? |
Corresponded with Frank Brehany about trying to find victim groups in Europe. |
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15.11.23 Sent Gaelan Komen the Renters Reform Bill alert and asked if the landlord’s gas safety check and certificate could be clarified/changed in this bill. |
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18.11.23 Wrote to Gaelan re good news from W & W now training 12 engineers for CMDDA1 so now all four GDNs are testing or preparing to test for CO. Queried how data would be processed. After thinking a university would be needed was informed that a company SIA was collecting all GDN data including CO data. Possibly a statistician might be needed. |
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Queried that it was surely time to change Algorithm for GPs? Suggested Hilary Wareing would help. Sent Algorithm for GPs and one for midwives and other health professionals. |
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19.11.23 Heard about the roundtable with Liz Twist MP 07.12.23 – seems we won’t be asked to attend in person. Will anyone be there from survivors/victims/families? |
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23.11.23 Wrote to CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) in USA re recall after repairs to gas ranges didn’t seem to work https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zline-recall-gas-ranges-carbon-monoxide-unsuccessful-repairs/ – sent Rachel Brady’s case study – pointed out if there had been no test for CO, Rachel would still be being exposed to CO. |
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Wrote to IGEM, Oliver Lancaster and Ian McCluskey suggesting changes to Unsafe Situations procedure and GEL 11 re CO alarm sounding. |
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24.11.23 Wrote to Bob Neill MP re stroke – his wife had just suffered a stroke and wanted him to know that CO can cause stroke, for his sake and for the sake of his wife. |
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Wrote to Kevin Tse of Ofgem about increased funding from £60 million to £171 million. |
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26.11.23 Wrote to Gaelan re meeting 07.12.23 and saying somebody should attend in person on behalf of victims/survivors/families. Why no PAMs (Personal Alarm Monitors for CO)? |
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28.11.23 Meeting with IGEM. Had sent Wayne’s presentation and Rachel Brady’s case study. Prepared agenda and sent it. Meeting at 2.00 with Oliver Lancaster, CEO, Ian McCluskey Head of Technical and Policy, Stephanie Trotter CO-Gas Safety and Jonathan Kane of Kane International and Sue Westwood, CO-Gas Safety also joined. |
All four GDNs now testing albeit vulnerable customers only but it’s brilliant because data now being compiled. Data so far convincing of the need to test for CO - Cadent showing one third of 600 tested were A/R (At Risk) or I/D (Immediately Dangerous). Need for IGEM’s support on testing. Ian convinced – not sure Oliver is. Discussion about Energy UK brought up by Ollie. He thought they’d be helpful. Stephanie thought it would be great if IGEM could get Energy UK on board but doubted it. |
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Wrote to Rachel Brady asking how she is and saying that we used her case study again today and how helpful it was. |
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29.11.23 Sent notes of IGEM meeting to attendees. |
Wrote to Ian McCluskey suggesting it was surely right that test for CO be recommended whenever practicable. Surely time IGEM led on this issue? |
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30.11.23 Sent work group email re petition re Clean Air Bill – Government response is late. |
Sent email to Simon Birkett of Clean Air London, asked after Rosamund Adoo Kissi Debrah and gave him the good news i.e. that all four of the Gas Distribution Network companies (GDNs) that provide the gas emergency service are now testing for CO or training Registered Gas Safe Engineers to do so. But only for homes of ‘vulnerable customers’ under Ofgem’s UIOLI (Use It Or Lose It) funding scheme. |
The GDNs seem to be left to decide who is vulnerable and so far, generally interpreting this as those on or eligible for the Priority Services Register (PSR), the sick, elderly, poor, disabled, those with young children or living in remote rural areas. |
But of course, all customers are vulnerable to carbon monoxide (CO) however healthy, wealthy or wise. |
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Re-sent email to Caroline Lane and HSE gas enquiries about was the GSR coming up for renewal and if so could HSE insist that HSE make it easy to find RGEs with CMDDA1. |
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Dec-23 |
Wrote to Adrian McConnell re JMLU research and asked if report he had sent us was published yet? In any case report didn’t seem to be the research that supported the press release which showed 20% of homes had 50 PPM and above of CO. |
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06.12.23 As requested sent Gaelan ‘Needed Safety Improvements’. Wrote later to say that we would be happy to work on the legislation and what needed to be changed to implement the improvements, but we are too busy, at the moment. |
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07.12.23 APPCOG meeting Report ‘Prepare, Practice & Protect’ ‘Improving CO safety in Health & Care Services’ written by Laura Fatah and published in July 2023. Stephanie Trotter attended. |
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Becky Walker said the Local Authorities had powers to deal with private landlords which they do but said Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) could get RGEs to test. Stephanie wrote a note to say – yes, could get RGEs to service but doubted they would test for CO. |
Liz Twist MP said the issue how to raise CO and warn people? Stephanie wrote ‘find it and prove it’. Showed this note to Dan who nodded – then showed it to Liz Twist MP who quoted it at the meeting. |
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On the way out, Stephanie had a discussion with Dan Edwards of SGN and said main problem was lack of gas engineers to test and all needed CMDDA1 training. Dan agreed CMDDA1 should be part of the core for RGEs, all the companies were using a company SIA to process the data and were all collecting same way. |
Stephanie suggested seeing HSE – if HSE said testing was safety issue then Ofgem would find funding. Dan said HSE not interested. Stephanie suggested we needed to all get together and then we would see Minister for HSE. |
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12.12.23 A lot of correspondence with survivor, DD as usual about finding some gadget to test the air. Asked Dr Ben Croxford for help and he suggested https://markes.com/ Asked if UCL could analyse. |
Re-sent email to HSE re cross departmental meeting – has it been held? Minutes? Is it still to be held? |
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13.12.23 Wrote to Wayne Merry saying sorry about the Chris Bielby award (he’s not eligible due to Cadent being a judge) but will look for other awards he could enter. |
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Concerned about RH’s cooker. I rang the gas emergency number today 0800111999 and got an amazingly helpful person called Ryan who gave his identity number and he said the gas emergency service does attend bottled gas incidents, if CO suspected or CO alarm alarms. He was very knowledgeable, and the training is now far better. The call handlers (or at least Ryan) seem to know the levels that CO alarms sound now which is brilliant. |
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Wrote to Gaelan Komen about his promise to bring up use of pulse oximeters with COMED and also Algorithm and GPs working with GDNs. |
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14.12.23 Ofgem responded to our FOI request which was interesting and as expected but the question about whether or not Ofgem had consulted HSE was so obscure, we queried this. We received a response immediately that Ofgem hadn’t consulted HSE over VCMA or the extra amount but had enabled it to react. |
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Sent to Work group with query what to do about this. One responded to my suggestion that we refer this to APPCOG. (Wrote to Gaelan Komen about this on 10.01.24.). |
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Rang James Gray MP, who is the MP of RH and spoke to Oscar – very helpful. Told him another clergyman, this time C of E had alleged much the same. Our email has been received and will be dealt with. |
Suggested to Wayne that he might like to apply for the Gas industry Awards. |
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Emailed Women’s Utility Network asking if they wanted to know about CO. |
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15.12.23 Wrote to Wayne – replied that Gas Industry Awards for next year would be good – Stephanie and CO-Gas Safety will have done 30 years by next year. |
Email from Sarah Hill re ours sent 14.09.23 to her. ‘One in every five UK homes contain potentially dangerous gas appliances’. In our opinion it would be far more effective if gas appliances were turned on and the air and emissions from gas appliances tested for gas leaks and for CO. Then we would know for certain how many UK homes have proved dangerous gas appliances. |
Would Gas Safe Register support this? Sarah Hill’s answer was that legislation would be required. We found this very disappointing. |
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16.12.23 Phoned new survivors RB and D on the way. Had conversation. They had LPG boiler next door – were suffering CO symptoms. Cadent had called twice and one Cadent CO alarm had alarmed since. Told them to ring again and report this but RB later told me Cadent wouldn’t visit again. They sent case study – 10 pages long, full of praise for Cadent. Read at midnight, responded at 12.50 a.m. |
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Sue Westwood, wrote to inform us about a Facebook#Sleep advocating a tent on the back of a truck enveloping the exhaust and telling people to keep engine on to keep warm. Sue told me plenty of people had warned about CO. Tried to find it once I was home but couldn’t find it. Emailed Sue. |
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17.12.23 Sue sent email saying she had messaged Gerald Butler re lorry. |
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18.12.23 Started the day with concern for the two men RB and D. Rang Cadent and got Ruhul Miah who was fantastically helpful. He got the address from the name and the mobile number thank goodness and said he had send a Cadent engineer within an hour. Later heard from one of the men – that one aged 60 detained in hospital with injuries consistent with CO and that CO had been found in both their house and the one next door with the LPG boiler. Sent Phil Burrows, Suzanne Callington and Wayne Merry of Cadent an email of thanks. |
Suzanne Callington of Cadent wrote in response to an email some time ago and thanked us for Rachel Brady case study. However, Suzanne said there was a long road to improving the gaps. |
Wrote to Kevin Hegarty and Ben Green of Cadent re recent case of the two men and expressed hope that Ruhul Miah would be thanked - also the FCOs. |
Rang Cadent Customer Care 0800 389 8000 and got Rea of the Disconnection Team (there is no comments team) and expressed the same re Ruhul Miah and FCOs. She will relay up. |
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19.12.23 Wrote to Jim Lambeth about HETAS – presume HETAS would charge. |
Received acknowledgement and thanks from Barakak Mutavakil from Cadent and made suggestions about how positive feedback could be asked for and given – maybe on website. Also, employee of the month and then year in a competition with a reward. |
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20.12.23 Wrote to Suzanne of Cadent about her comment about there still being gaps – that we agreed and mentioned COMED and the article in the Times, ‘Doctors should listen to patients’. |
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Attached Rachel Brady’s case study. Mentioned Algorithm and cul de sac for GPs due to no access to testing the home for CO. Also, HSE needing to say testing was a safety issue then Ofgem would provide funds for tests whenever practicable. Also, landlord’s gas safety check should require test for CO – attached our NLJ article 2018. |
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Wrote to Gaelan Komen re COMED and articles on pulse oximetry case studies Amber Yates, Rebecca Scarlett etc. Also, surely we should attend COMED as we represented survivors/patients? |
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Wrote to Steven Yurek of AHRI (Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute) USA re the Zline cookers unsuccessful recall and suggestion for appliance logbook. |
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Heard from Care from Cadent and they are passing on Stephanie’s suggestions which is good. |
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Re-sent Dr Charles Shepherd re ME Association – surely PM on brains can include test for CO? |
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Heard from Sue Bartley from HSE gas enquiries – was told not to copy named person in as well as write only to HSE Gas enquiries. |
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21.12.23 Sent email to Cadent’s Mary O’Shaughnessy re use of our case studies. Sent usual rules but suggested we had a chat in the hope we could work together. Got positive reply and ended up suggesting 4th January. Found out through Linked in that Mary is a Project Manager. |
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Received email from Dr Charles Shepherd of ME Association re my suggestion to test blood for CO while looking at brains at PM. He gave reasons for not doing this automatically, such as suicide. Replied that as he was surely aware CO makes people depressed, so CO could be a contributing cause. Baroness Finlay recommended testing at every PM in 2012. Sent him Press release from JMLU in 2012 and also ‘Numbers affected by CO in UK’ – 20% of households above 50 PPM. Asked him to read these. |
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Received minutes of 07.12.23 APPCOG Liz Twist MP meeting from Lavanya and of all my contribution, only one was mentioned suggesting PAMs for CO for health workers. Still worth the meeting for chat with various people there, particularly Dan Edwards of SGN, Chair of GDN CO Group. |
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22.12.23 Sent Work Group the minutes of the APPCOG round table 07.12.23 and December update. |
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Sent leaflet and CO alarm levels and Beth Cheshire’s research to Victoria Jackon of Institute of Health visitors. |
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Wrote briefly to Mary O’Shaughnessy of Cadent re virtual meeting on the 4th of January. Sent reading material – Press release, Numbers affected by CO in UK and 1/5 homes in UK don’t have a safety check. |
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23.12.23 Wrote to survivor PM about her pointing out need to be able to demand a test for CO. We agree. |
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26.12.23 Sent email sent re COMED to Gaelan Komen on 26.10.23. Issue is whether or not there is anyone to represent survivors/victims/patients of CO poisoning at these COMED meetings. |
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27.12.23 Wrote to Kevin Tse re-sending an email first sent 22.10.23 thanking Ofgem for what it has done but saying that everyone is vulnerable to CO and copying this to HSE. Also attached Wayne Merry’s presentation, his cooker data and Rachel Brady’s case study, link to Zline cookers in the USA. Also asked who is the HSE’s representative at the cross-departmental committee on CO. |
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Re-read draft email to Mary O’Shaughnessy of Cadent and sent it. Contained a great deal of reading material. JMLU press release, numbers affected by CO in UK and Beth Cheshire’s research also references to our case studies. Meeting 4th Jan. |
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Heard from Kevin Tse of Ofgem and the FOI team and thanked him for forwarding to HSE and agreeing that it was an HSE issue. |
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28.12.23 Received update from Ofgem re a fund controlled by the Energy Saving Trust which seems huge and could surely pay for checks and servicing for Fuel Bank Foundation and maybe an organisation like ours. |
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29.12.23 Heard from Sue Westwood that Coronation Street is running a CO story very soon. |
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Wrote to Kevin Hegarty and Ben Green of Cadent to ask them if the story is from Cadent. Hope it is and hope they’ve involved engineers. |
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30.12.23 Checked the media alerts and sent Jenny the interesting generator case in USA. Generator outside but near the garage door – fumes went inside. Couple affected but not killed and keen to raise awareness. |
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Also, a USA ice rink case – CO alarms went off days before many people went to hospital. Drafted email about both USA cases to Charon of NCOAA. |
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Jan-24 |
Worked on Report of the Year 2023-2024. |
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04.01.24 Virtual meeting with Mary O’Shaughnessy, Project Manager of Cadent. Very good meeting. |
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SGN forced to release findings from hydrogen explosion tests |
Later found report on this issue |
https://sgn.co.uk/sites/default/files/media-entities/documents/2023-12/Hydrogen%20Consequence%20Testing%20report_0.pdf |
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11.01.24 Virtual meeting with Ian McCluskey Head of Technical and Policy at IGEM at 11.00 to 12.00. Trying to persuade IGEM to lead on testing for CO. |
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12.01.24 Correspondence with Pierre Chays in Jersey about testing yachts and quays for CO. |
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22.01.24 Dan Edwards of SGN sent finished copy re sweep test but only with numbers. |
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23.01.24 Sent email to Phil Burrows asking to be put in touch with SIA which was compiling the GDN data. |
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24.01.24 Wednesday |
Attended Healthy Homes meeting at the House of Commons. |
Asked Jane Goddard, of BRE if they had any CO data? They did not. |
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30.01.24 Virtual meeting with Pierre Chays and Derrick Thorrington at 10.00 in Jersey. |
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Published our Report of the Year 2023 on our website and updated statistics of deaths and charts. See https://www.co-gassafety.co.uk/information/annual-report-2023/ |
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Feb-24 |
Contacted by mother, Cathy Foley of young man Jack Foley who died in Ecuador. |
Still no compulsory repatriation insurance or guarantee with British Passport. |
Still Gap year company did not warn of CO or suggest CO alarm. |
No information about CO on Foreign office websites. |
Still CO alarms to EN 50291 not being sold at airports. |
All issues CO-Gas Safety has been lobbying for since 1995. |
Introduced Cathy to Gaelan. |
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Updated our E Learning course with Roland Johns. Obtained agreement to send this to Hilary Wareing provided she wasn’t using it to make a profit. She’s been asked to write new algorithms. |
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Helped mother of toddler who died but wasn’t tested for CO – not suspected until after the inquest so Coroner no longer has jurisdiction. Contacted Dr Joanna Garstang MBChB, MRCPCH, PhD School of Nursing and Midwifery, Clinical Associate Professor of Child Protection, who was on Panorama. She wrote, ‘CO is on the list of post-mortem samples for sudden unexplained deaths, and most blood gas analysers in Emergency Departments will also give a carboxyhaemoglobin reading. Many children will have a blood gas taken as part of resuscitation in the Emergency Department and CO poisoning can be ruled out then. If samples have been stored at post-mortem, clinical teams can request further tests on behalf of parents if needed after the coroner has concluded their investigation.’ |
In our experience tests are not done. |
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We lobbied again to be asked to COMED meetings to represent survivors and families. |
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17.02.24 We wrote to Isabella Myers to ask this too and pointed out that medics would find diagnosis easier if tests of the air in the home were undertaken whenever practicable. |
As we are not invited to COMED meetings, despite our requests to be invited, we asked Myers to ask the COMED members to support this. |
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Recent Healthy Homes meeting and apparently the Algorithm for GPs has some hope of leading to testing the air in the home for CO. But surely this is only because thanks to Ofgem the GDNs now have funding for testing homes of vulnerable customers to CO? |
We still have no idea of when all the four companies will test for CO, or how they do this, or how GPs will be made aware of this- if indeed that is the intention. |
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Mar-24 |
03.03.24 Clasp report on gas cookers https://www.clasp.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Gas-Report.pdf Wrote to CLASP re hidden damages caused by gas cookers. |
New research suggestions phasing out gas cooking appliances across the EU-27, in favour of electric alternatives. |
This report states that cooking with gas releases hazardous air pollutants into our homes. |
Indoor air pollution from gas cooking harms people. |
Gas is not ‘natural’ or ‘clean’. |
Cooking with gas is costly. |
Ventilation is not enough. |
Gas cooking undermines EU targets to become a climate-neutral economy by 2050. |
Gas cooking undermines the EU’s electrification and efficiency agenda. |
Clean hydrogen is not a viable cooking fuel. |
Also sent to Wayne Merry, Cadent, Dan Edwards, SGN and Gaelan Komen, APPCOG. |
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04.03.24 Finally obtained the link to the film ‘The hardest day’ via David Goodall – excellent film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvTaYFf0aOM – used as a training film for RGEs. |
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20.03.23 Wrote to Gaelan Komen in response to his email about HSE and cross departmental committee – seems APPCOG not included as an invitee. |
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Gaelan Komen very kindly thanked me for introducing him to Jack Foley’s mother – who died in Quito. Asked if I had anything on CO alarms at airports. Found something from CoGDEM and sent it on – also submission to Coroner Hinchliff* re meeting with Baroness Amos (probably 2002) and re attempts to get CO alarms sold at airports in 2015 – *the coroner for the Corfu Children. Also included our leaflet as it has a resume of the Corfu case and pics of the children. |
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Wrote to Gaelan and Frank Brehany attaching submission to Coroner Hinchliff and also sent draft press release re Frank’s certification idea. |
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21.03. 24 Wrote to Gaelan and Frank about advice from Foreign Office re going to various countries – yet nothing about CO. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/world-news/latest-foreign-office-travel-advice-28876485 |
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26.03.24 Re selling CO alarms at airports – could politicians for APPCOG and COGDEM come out and speak about this? Also agitate for meeting with HSE’s Minister Chloe Smith. |
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22.03.24 Sent Gaelan an article https://fsmmag.com/Articles/2024/Daily-Articles/03/ANSI-PGMA-G300-Revised-Standard-Reduces-Carbon-Monoxide-Risks-to-Avoid-Injuries.html |
about an organisation for generator manufacturers in USA and how they were trying to warn people to use them outdoors – what about APPCOG suggesting the same in UK? |
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Sent email to Ian McCluskey 26.03.24 re response to email sent 15.01.24 re meeting held 11.01.24 asking IGEM to actively support this and lobby HSE for testing for CO for all consumers whenever practicable and record PPM of CO and provide this to survivors and medics to help survivors, save NHS funds and promote the reputation of RGEs and the gas industry, hopefully worldwide. |
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Heard back from Ian the same day and they are still discussing the issues apparently. We still have not heard (12.05.24 now 10.11.24). |
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19.03.23 Case noted of explosion of mains pipe and family failed in action against Northern Gas Networks because pipe not due to be replaced for another ten years https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2024-03-28/devastating-house-blast-broke-mum-familys-campaign-for-law-change |
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Apr-24 |
03.04.24 Reviewed email from Mark Rolfe, Head of Gas Safety Improvements Gas Safe Register https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/media/3602/2021-22-gas-safe-register-at-a-glance-report.pdf Basically said it is up to the gas industry to determine where specific tests are required not Gas Safe Register. Gas Safe Register will not lobby, nor change how RGEs with CMDDA1 can be accessed. All policies are approved by HSE and reviewed regularly. |
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Read that licensing landlords is being considered as a single set of rules rather than just in local areas with every area being different. Thought this was a good idea so filled out a form and sent an email offering to help to admin@gouno.com Sent Trotter’s letter sent to Hull County Council in 1999 demonstrating that licensing could be self-financing or even better (i.e. make a profit for Councils) and also NLJ article about landlord’s gas safety check and no mandatory test for CO.’ |
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Issue of a fatality – blood not tested for CO, but authorities still hold some blood. Can the mother of the dead child demand that the blood be tested for CO? Coroner says that he no longer has jurisdiction as inquest over. Can anyone else help the mother? Still unclear. |
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11.04.24 Good meeting with Dr Jo Garstang about this. She is a clinical Associate Professor in nursing and midwifery with a specialty of safeguarding children. Mother of Isal Mae asked for more details. |
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Afternoon zoom with Vicky Gilroy and Victoria Jackson of the Institute of Health Visitors – it is a charity and no real funding. Understood the difficulty re testing for CO. Very similar to us. Very good meeting. |
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16.04.24 IGEM Gas Utilisation - Tuesday 16 April 2024 – National Conference Centre |
Met Caroline Lane from the HSE. She was very nice but determined to tell me that HSE was not interested in testing for CO or asking for a mandatory requirement for the gas emergency service to test or for it to be mandatory to test whenever practicable. I argued that how could you make anyone safe from CO without doing this? She didn’t seem to have a response. |
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18.04.24 Wrote to Ofgem consumer advice re no mention of CO in their energy advice. |
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22.04.24 Wrote to Steve Critchlow to thank him for his talk on explosions at the Gu Conference. Also to discuss the confusion over when a RGE with CMDDA1 was required and when not. |
Asked him to clarity a RGE's responsibilities under 26.9 & BS7967, especially with regard to sweep tests for CO? |
Also asked him how an ordinary consumer can access a RGE with CMDDA1 when that consumer can afford to pay and is therefore not on the Priory Services Register? |
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24.04.24 Wrote to Gaelan and attached email to Professor Sani in 2017 about the algorithm. Delighted to hear testing can now be prescribed but will it actually happen yet as one company still only training to test? Really want to be put in touch with SIA to offer our data and fields on deaths from CO from 1995. |
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30.04.24 Heard from Rosalie Callway of Town and Country Planning and Healthy Homes is happy to support call for indoor air quality testing and CO risk. Needs a blog of 600-800 words. Thanked her and said would be doing so and did so. |
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Had a zoom meeting with Dr Jason Rose and Dr Mark Gladwin re antidote to CO. Sue Westwood attended. Very good helpful meeting. There is a protein and a bacteria which scavenges CO. Will only be suitable for acute medicine in hospital. At the mouse testing stage so a long way to go. Sent documents later. |
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Need for health visitors etc. to have PAMs for CO. |
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SIA is collating the data. CO-Gas Safety is seeking meeting with Cadent and SIA. |
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Article https://www.thedevondaily.co.uk/news/local-news-homes-gardens/is-your-gas-hob-safe about warnings of certain gas hobs by OPSS to undertake a corrective action programme to make certain gas hobs safe. An estimated 100,000 gas hobs sold in the UK may be fitted with a connector that is at risk of failing whether the hob is in use or not. Should this occur, it could lead to poisoning, burns, a gas leak or fire. |
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May-24 |
22.05.24 Received interesting alert from the Worcester Fire Service about self-heating meals – must only use outside. Sent emails asking for research on this. Finally received email confirming no such research was known about (19.07.24). |
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25.05.24 |
Heard from clergyman of C o E – difficulty when their property was dangerous re CO – couldn’t just withhold rent as ordinary tenant could. |
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Towards end of May heard of new 4th open air CO death in USA. Can’t access fully as report in USA. |
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June |
01.06.24 Realised we need to lobby alarm companies in USA in order to make sure they provide an alarm with a downloadable feature like AICO’s. |
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04.06.24 Worked on Charity Commission governance policies. Still more to do. |
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06.06.24 Meeting with Isabella Myers, Cadent and SIA. 10.30 to 11.15. |
Kept trying to relate with GDNs and SIA over data fields. Kept being promised that we could relate and help – after all we’ve been collating, collating and publishing data from deaths from unintentional CO since 1995, but no real progress. We don’t even know if GDNs who do test for CO and find it give PPM in writing/digitally to those exposed and their medics. |
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08.06.24 Wrote to Ian McCluskey of IGEM asking if he knew any independent gas experts for Wales, N. Ireland and anywhere in UK. Resent 10.11.24 |
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25.06.24 |
10.00 a.m. ‘Setting CO priorities’ zoom – Gaelan and Lavanya. |
Contributed that if HSE said testing for CO as a safety issue (and how can it not be?) then Ofgem would find the funding to enable gas emergency service to do this for all. Explained that Ofgem about licensing suppliers and gas emergency service providers and mediating between them and also ensuring the finances and supply. HSE about safety. Mentioned the MOU and need for both to communicate with each other. |
Jason Perrins made an excellent comment about the fact that low level monitors now existed – at around 20 PPM. |
Wrote to Gaelan to say that if awareness and testing occurred then thought the other things would be easier and would follow but a body to replace CO-Gas Safety is needed. Plus, all Engineers should be registered by law, not just gas. |
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Re-sent email to Akshay re Energy Domestic consumer advice to Ofgem – no mention of CO in energy advice first sent 17.04.24. |
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Jul-24 |
11.07.24 |
Got ready for zoom with Adrian at 9.30. |
Paul Overton joined too. |
We considered the three questions sent yesterday. |
1. Data under the Ecosystem funded by Cadent and run by SIA and Isabella Myers. |
Adrian told us this was intended to cover all the GDN data, fire service data, CO alarm data and health data (which is a nightmare). Adrian in a voluntary role to help get this data together. Issie more important because Emily soon to have a baby. Issie is an independent consultant working for Cadent. |
Stephanie – surely, it’s the GDN data and particularly the Cadent data that is topical and has proved CO that needs to lead this? |
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2. COMED – apparently Josh is the important person – very nice – PhD candidate. Biological and chemical boffin – has to work with industry. Adrian mentoring him. Effects on the developing foetus – trying to get scientists together to educate everyone. |
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Stephanie asked Paul Overton for his comments. |
PO – Why are we still only at the point of trying to get data together? |
Adrian Covid moved air quality up the agenda and many of those who were not keen have retired etc. Re data Adrian suggested we talk to Phil Burrows, Dan Edwards and Ian McCluskey. |
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3. Body to do what CO-Gas Safety does separate from industry but paid for by it. |
Adrian said he’d spoken to Baroness Finlay about this after Jonathan Kane had talked about this to Adrian. She is going to have a chat. Adrian suggested Stephanie write to BF about this and RIO3. |
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12.07.24 |
Wrote to David Parker and the work group about the Wobbe index minutes. |
1. Obsession with costs over safety. |
2. CO alarms referred to as monitors when they are alarms. |
3. Relying on Oban trial when nearly all serviced and the only was which wasn’t, nearly caused a fatality. |
4. Nobody really knew a great deal and it seemed that there was a need for more research and consultation. |
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17.07.24 |
Attended an event at One Birdcage Walk organised by Policy Connect and met many new MPs. |
Also chatted with David Goodall of Steve Vick. |
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18.07.24 |
Attended a virtual VCMA showcase event which was attended by Ofgem’s David McCrone. |
Put forward the need for the GDNs to test for CO whenever practicable because CO cannot be sensed using human senses. |
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26.07.25 |
Wrote to Vincent Luxmore of EQ communications. EQ had organised the showcase event. |
HSE apparently did attend but couldn’t find this in the PDF list of attendees Vince kindly sent – much easier to print out than the first one. Lack of meetings ever in person. What we are trying to do – surely not that revolutionary for a deadly gas which cannot be sensed using human senses and can be tested for in 5-7 minutes (NGN research)? Sent warnings to Vince. |
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29.07.24 |
Zoom meeting with Gaelan and Cathy. |
Asked how Gaelan was getting on with the Foreign Office. It seemed that the FO wasn’t going to change advice re CO, i.e. wasn’t going to put out any advice. |
We talked about the media campaign, insurance and repatriation. Also, about shops at ports not selling CO alarms to EN 50291. |
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31.07.24 |
Got ready to watch BBC Breakfast as Cathy Foley and her son Jordan would be on around 8.00. |
They were interviewed about 8.15. They were very good indeed. |
Drafted a News item for the website based on this. |
Posted on July 31, 2024 |
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Hudson Foley Memorial Campaign for Carbon Monoxide Travel Safety |
Cathy, Hudson’s mother and Jordan, Hudson’s brother have appeared on BBC breakfast (31.07.24 at around 8.21). They brilliantly outlined Hudson’s life, his joys and his tragic avoidable death. Their aim is to let everyone know how to avoid this happening to anyone else. |
Stephanie Boyle from the Safer Tourism Foundation also appeared. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0021lr1/breakfast-31072024 at 1.36. |
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Please visit https://www.safertourism.org.uk/pack-co-safe to learn more about Hudson and how to prevent similar deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. |
Hudson’s mother, Cathy is bravely heading this warning campaign, assisted by the All Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group of MPs (APPCOG) and the Safer Tourism Foundation. |
CO-Gas Safety has put her in touch with these organisations and supports her and her family. CO-Gas Safety thanks the family for their vital awareness raising work. |
However, this work should not be left to grieving families. Please write to your member of Parliament about this. If you don’t know who your MP is please visit https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP |
CO-Gas Safety calls for: |
1. CO alarms to BS EN 50291 to be on sale at all air, seaports and also major railway stations. |
2. A public warning campaign about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and how to prevent it. |
3. For all ‘gap year’ companies that provide paid for advice to young travelers to make it clear that a CO alarm to BS EN 50291 and information about CO are more important than such things as expensive hiking boots and rucksacks etc. CO alarms must be on all kit lists. |
4. Advice on insurance including repatriation. In the past, CO-Gas Safety has asked Ministers in the Foreign Office to either make such insurance compulsory or provide it as part of the passport fee, where it is not purchased. The motor insurance bureau provides this for uninsured drivers. |
5. Awareness that CO deaths and injuries don’t just happen abroad. Please watch our one minute film about Sue who had carbon monoxide poisoning – could save your life or the life of someone you love https://www.co-gassafety.co.uk/one-survivors-story/ |
6. Testing for CO whenever practicable, in the UK particularly by the gas emergency service which at the moment does not have a legal duty to do this. |
Later sent this to work group and Jonathan Kane. |
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Stephanie Trotter O.B.E |