Echo moves to protect students from CO gas (From The Northern Echo)

Echo moves to protect students from CO gas

8:58am Thursday 18th October 2007 in

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Day Four of the Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week and reporter Marjorie McIntyre outlines action being taken to alert students across the region to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning and of new moves in The Northern Echo's ongoing campaign to protect them.

THE Northern Echo has joined forces with gas industry watchdog Corgi to produce information packs warning students in the region of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

As young people this week embark on their college and university courses the simple fact is that few will spare a thought to the safety of their new away-from-home accommodation.

But a haunting reminder of the so-called silent killer remains at Durham university, after the tragic death from CO poisoning of promising young undergraduate Anne Brennan.

Anne, 19, from Houghton-le-Spring on Wearside, died in her student flat in the city overcome by the odourless, soundless and colourless carbon monoxide seeping from a faulty water heater.

Her untimely death in 1995 prompted The Northern Echo to launch its campaign to raise the awareness of CO poisoning and to press for continuing action to prevent any further needless deaths.

Much has been done to ensure landlords of student digs have appliances and flues regularly checked, but to prevent dulling of memories over the perils of the insidious gas we have teamed up with Corgi to compile and distribute special information packs.

As freshers flock in to begin their college and university careers, the region's centres of further education are also looking to measures of their own to protect those living out of halls of residences.

At Durham University a large percentage of students "living out" find their digs through its Accommodation Office.

Yesterday, Emma Carter education and welfare officer at the Durham Student's Union confirmed that preparations are under way to ensure that next year all landlords on its register must follow a guideline ruling: "All properties are fitted with a fully working battery mains operated carbon monoxide detector compliant with European Standard EN 50291."

She said: "This is to ensure that students are safe from the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning - as symptoms such as tiredness are often similar to those of being over worked."

Once the installation of CO alarms are introduced Emma pointed out that there would, however, be insufficient resources to check if landlords of student accommodation are complying.

"We will therefore be relying on students to tell us of any failures to comply by landlords.

In view of this she said: "We welcome the initiative of The Northern Echo and Corgi we think it is a brilliant move."