New CO alarms lower poison risk

The new system, which has been developed introduced by Northern Gas Networks, has now been taken up by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) in a bid to improve safety in social housing across the area.

Inventors have developed carbon monoxide detectors so they can now be linked to a mobile device, which receives an SMS notification if the poisonous gas is in the property.

Weekly reports are also issued by the detectors to confirm they are functional and to alert owners when the batteries need replacing.

Carbon monoxide is often referred to as the ‘silent killer’ as it has no smell, colour or taste, making it extremely difficult to notice. Inhaling it stops oxygen from being carried around the body and it causes around 50 deaths each year in the UK.

Paul Goodwin, who manages KNH’s Gas and Electric team, said: “Keeping our tenants safe is a fundamental part of our role as a social landlord, so we carry out annual gas servicing and safety checks on all the properties we manage.

“As an additional precaution, we also fit carbon monoxide detectors in the homes of our more vulnerable tenants, so we’re looking forward to seeing how the new smart detectors can help us keep those tenants even safer.”

Tom Bell of Northern Gas Networks said: “Raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide is an issue we take extremely seriously, as is the health and safety of all our customers.”