BBC HomepageWorld ServiceEducation
BBC Homepagelow graphics version | feedback | help
BBC News Online
 You are in: UK: Scotland
News image
Front Page 
World 
UK 
England 
Northern Ireland 
Scotland 
Wales 
UK Politics 
Business 
Sci/Tech 
Health 
Education 
Entertainment 
Talking Point 
In Depth 
AudioVideo 
News image


Pat Kerr reports
"Experts believe the numbers could be 10 times higher"
 real 28k

Tuesday, 18 April, 2000, 22:18 GMT 23:18 UK
'Silent killer' fears prompt gas review
gas
Many people do not realise the potential danger

News image Click here to watch the programme at 2310BST.


Concern about the death toll from carbon monoxide poisoning has prompted the Health and Safety Executive to conduct a major review of the gas industry and the way it is policed.

About 20 million households in the UK use natural gas which, without proper care, could be poisoning customers.

According to official statistics, approximately 30 people die each year from what is known as the "silent killer".

But BBC Scotland's Frontline programme has spoken to experts who believe that, because so many cases go undetected and undiagnosed, the figure could actually be 10 times that.

Council fined

A faulty gas heating system in a council house in Glenrothes killed one man and his girlfriend suffered permanent brain damage.

Fife Council admitted causing the death of Mark Taggerty and causing injury and suffering to Hazel Brown.

The council has since replaced all the defective heating systems in its homes and was fined �5,000 earlier this year for breaching gas safety regulations.

The dead man's family are now suing the local authority.

Poor installation

The natural gas used to fuel water heaters, fires and boilers is not poisonous, but poorly installed or inadequately maintained appliances can give off potentially lethal carbon monoxide.

It can also build up in a room if chimneys, flues and vents are blocked, or if there is not enough fresh air in the room to keep the gas burning properly.

The gas cannot be seen, tasted or smelt, but in sufficient concentrations it can cause death within a matter of hours.

Many gas users are not fully aware of the potential dangers of the appliances around them and in some cases they do not find out until it is too late.

News imageSearch BBC News Online
News image
News image
News imageNews image
Advanced search options
News image
Launch console
News image
News image
News imageBBC RADIO NEWS
News image
News image
News imageBBC ONE TV NEWS
News image
News image
News imageWORLD NEWS SUMMARY
News image
News image
News image
News image
News imageNews imageNews imageNews imagePROGRAMMES GUIDE

In DepthIN DEPTH
Frontline Scotland
Watch and read BBC Scotland's investigative series
Internet links:


The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

News image
Links to other Scotland stories are at the foot of the page.
News image

E-mail this story to a friend

Links to more Scotland stories



News imageNews image