How many more have to die before we change the regulations?

There have been consistent campaigns over many years to install smoke alarms in all buildings – and it is now standard practice on all new builds and major refurbishments - but sadly we do not appear to be taking the threat of Carbon monoxide poisoning in quite the same way.

There are increasing calls for Government to introduce legislation particularly as current statistics suggest that while around 84% of properties have smoke alarms only 15% are equipped with Carbon Monoxide detection. It is possibly why we continue to see 200 people a year taken to hospital after breathing in this odourless gas resulting in up to 50 deaths.

Small changes were made to building regulations in October 2010 requiring that a carbon monoxide detector be fitted in any rooms that have either a replacement or new fixed solid fuel-burning appliance installed, but most expert's feel this does not go far enough and want detectors fitted wherever there is risk.

One key area where regulations are enforced however is the lettings sector. Landlords are specifically required to carry out a check to ensure that smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms are installed to comply with the Regulations and are in proper working order on the day a tenancy begins, but this only deals with part of the problem.

After carbon monoxide is breathed in, it enters your bloodstream and mixes with haemoglobin (the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body), to form carboxyhaemoglobin. When this happens, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen, and this lack of oxygen causes the body's cells and tissue to fail and die.

With around 12 million homes in the UK not protected by a carbon monoxide alarm – we are likely to see a rise in deaths. Most at risk are children, the elderly and pregnant women.

CO alarms can be bought online or in most supermarkets, but people are warned to be aware of cheap, sub-standard units available online from overseas suppliers. Only recently we have seen some 3.5 million units recalled in the US for potential failures.

Carbon Monoxide poisoning occasionally hits the headlines and seems to act as a temporary wakeup call but until we introduce similar legislation and regulations to those of smoke alarms we are unlikely to see any reductions in fatalities.

Just a reminder – that's 50 deaths a year or one a week. How many more have to die before we make changes?

By John Ridgeway

Follow me on Twitter @JohnRidgeway99