Carbon Monoxide: the silent killer
February 21, 2011
Carbon Monoxide can not be seen, smelt or tasted, but is deadly if it leaks from your gas heater into a family home.
The tragic deaths of young Chase and Tyler Robinson from Mooroopna, who were the victims of a faulty gas wall heater in their rented family home, prompted Dr Sharman Stone, Federal Member for Murray, to introduce a private member’s motion to parliament calling on new legislation to improve detection, safety and awareness about the deadly gas.
Dr Stone said her silent partner in debating the motion today was the young mother Vanessa Robinson, who is determined to see that her two boy’s deaths were not in vain. Lessons need to be learned.
Today, the motion was scheduled for debate in parliament. It began by acknowledging the deaths of Chase and Tyler and then called on the State, Territory and Federal Governments to introduce legislation that requires all homes to be fitted with carbon monoxide detectors and for rental properties to have all gas appliances and fittings inspected on a biannual basis. The motion also called for a national safety awareness campaign.
“Currently there are no laws mandating regular safety checks for gas appliances fitted in homes, nor for gas detectors to be fitted. Detectors can cost as little as $40 but we have no Australian Standards agreed for these detectors,” Sharman Stone said.
Four speakers supported Dr Stone’s motion which was debated and supported on a bi-partisan basis.
“One of the biggest problems is that symptoms of carbon monoxide are often difficult to detect. Symptoms include tiredness, shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. People often do not know there is a leak until it is too late.
Dr Stone said the new legislation needs to be nationally consistent, and the change needs to come via the Australian Building Codes Board who maintains and updates the Building code of Australia.
“The template legislation then needs to be introduced in each state and territory and this may be best managed through COAG.
“There was agreement from both sides of Government today, that members of parliament should do all they can to ensure tragedies like the deaths of Tyler and Chase Robinson never happen again.”
“This same process has happened before successfully with smoke alarms, and the United Kingdom has similar legislation currently in place. We need to urgently introduce this same legislation in Australia,” Sharman Stone said.