A recently published 2013 survey by Corgi indicates that best practice in carbon monoxide safety is of growing importance amongst the most prepared housing associations. But what concern is this for readers of WireIN? Michael Wright says potentially a lot, as forward thinking attitudes can offer installers of various persuasions, including electrical contractors, a valuable revenue stream in still difficult times.
On the 24th April 2013, CORGI Technical Services published the results of its 2013 survey of gas safety managers at the Gas Safety Management Conference. This special survey saw managers from over 100 different UK Housing Associations taking part, with a responsibility for an estimated 1.6 million properties nationwide.
The information gathered provides a fascinating insight into the differing attitudes towards Carbon Monoxide (CO) safety amongst Housing Association professionals.
What does this have to do with electrical contractors and installers? For them, it turns out that throwing the light on the latest trends in safety thinking could lead to genuine business opportunities.
Carbon monoxide and its dangers
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic gas that can’t be detected by the human senses; with a major leak it can kill in minutes. CO is released as a by-product of virtually any combustion process, so any household appliance that burns natural gas, coal, oil, bottled gas, paraffin, wood, petrol, diesel or charcoal is a potential source of a CO leak.
The most common causes of a leak are faulty appliances, poor ventilation or incorrect installation. With greatly improved home insulation and emphasis on reducing air leakage in buildings, there is even less chance of CO escaping if the ventilation is inadequate or blocked.
Policies and procedures on CO safety have come a long way in recent years as CO poisoning has slowly made it on to the news agenda. Today, 96% of all the Gas Safety Management Survey responders stated that their organisation has a gas safety management policy in place.
Some 88% of all respondents now have processes in place to deal with issues of CO poisoning within their organisation and the majority have now installed CO alarms in more than 30% of their premises.
However, 38% do not have a policy for the installation of CO alarms and 10.4% have no CO alarms installed at all. There is certainly room for improvement here and heating and plumbing installers have a role to play in pushing for a greater adoption of CO alarms.
What the regulations say
Building Regulations, Approved Document J ‘Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems’ recently made CO alarms mandatory for the first time, but only ‘Where a new or replacement fixed solid fuel appliance is installed in a dwelling’. This doesn’t apply to gas appliances, which are actually the most common cause of CO poisoning and more prevalent in social housing properties.
However, it would seem that many housing associations are going further than regulations demand. Robert Long, Electrical and Specialist Services Manager with Plymouth Community Homes, explains: “It is only a matter of time before it becomes a requirement for housing associations and local authorities to fit CO alarms, just like smoke alarms are now obligatory.
“It’s an essential life saving device. We believe that CO alarms will be a future requirement and have planned for this accordingly.”
CO alarm type and maintenance
Plymouth Community Homes is installing Aico CO alarms throughout its 15,000 properties. Although the organisation follows a strict maintenance schedule for the appliances it has fitted into the properties, there are a number of tenant-owned appliances that are not covered under this regime, which has been a driving factor in the decision to install CO alarms throughout. This is something for installers to bear in mind when putting the case for CO alarms. Also, problems can occur with appliances between maintenance points.
In the Gas Safety Management survey, of those organisations installing CO alarms, a slight majority still favour battery units over mains powered, but with mains powered units recognised as offering the best protection, electrical installers are in a prime position to reap the benefits of installation work.
No one surveyed fitted CO card indicators; these devices represent a positive step.
Safety first despite cuts
2012-2013 had seen government cost saving measures having a marked impact on housing associations and here gas safety managers provided a range of insights into how they were dealing with the problems caused by the recession.
Overall, their comments suggested that they were still maintaining safety practices as a high priority and sacrifices were being made in other areas rather than safety budgets and spending. “Safety and legislative requirements come first,” said one safety manager, while another summed up his organisation’s attitude to cuts as: “None on safety but capital investment cut.”
Steve Trennery, Head of Asset Management at Midlands-based Castle Vale Community Housing Association (CVCHA), is typical of the forward thinking attitude to CO safety amongst many housing associations, saying: “Many of the properties have gas cookers or gas fires, and there are issues such as blocked flues to be aware of, so we made the decision to fit CO alarms throughout as part of a review of safety; it’s a precautionary measure.”
CVCHA, which manages 2,300 properties, is currently replacing boilers throughout the properties with new sealed in boilers, which are often considered to provide virtually no risk of a CO leak. Yet, CVCHA has shown an excellent understanding of the sources of CO and the risk to tenants, and has placed safety as a clear priority.
Other managers reported a need to sweat assets and obtain greater value for money, as well as an increased tendency to look to independent contractors to have work carried out.
Extra business opportunities
As regards contractors – heating, plumbing and electrical – housing associations reported that some 54% of gas work was presently being awarded to outside contractors. Only 16% of the work was being handled by an in-house workforce, and the remaining 30% of gas work was being dealt with by combining in-house resources with independent contractors as required.
So there’s a real opportunity here for additional business.
Best practice in CO safety is undoubtedly being forged amongst the most prepared and committed housing associations in the survey, and they are stressing the need for proper safety policies and the installation of CO alarms, even when money is as tight as it is today.
Such forward thinking attitudes are not only excellent news for tenants, but also offer installers of various persuasions a valuable revenue stream in still difficult times.