Building Regulations

Written evidence submitted by Council of Gas Detection & Environmental Monitoring

The Council of Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring (CoGDEM) was established in 1974, and is the UK trade association for manufacturers and other experts in the industry of gas detection equipment used for safety applications. Our expertise is called on by many organisations, and we were interviewed twice during the research prior to the October 2010 amendments to Approved Document J of Building Regulations.

In general, we do not believe that Building Regs need to be relaxed with respect to domestic gas installations and repairs.

Our submission is quite straightforward:

· Building Regs should contain a wider requirement for the fitting of carbon monoxide alarms

Although we were pleased that carbon monoxide hazards were mentioned in the 2010 amendments to Approved Document J, we were surprised that only solid-fuel appliance installations require the compulsory fitting of a carbon monoxide alarm. We consider that the installation of any new heating appliance, irrespective of whether fuelled by solid-fuel, oil, piped gas or bottled gas (LPG), should require the fitting of a carbon monoxide alarm compliant with the relevant safety standard BS EN 50291.

Interestingly, we understand that Northern Ireland’s version of Building Regs will contain exactly this requirement. Now that the cost of CO alarms is low (typically retailing at less than £20, and perhaps half this figure to the trade), this does not represent an unfair burden. Given the HSE and BIS investigation into CO incidents linked to gas-fired condensing boilers, it is clear that the risk of CO from the poor installation of even the safest appliances warrants the fitting of suitable CO alarms.

This simple proposal could fit into your four suggested questions in the following way:

· Are the Building Regulations adequate in safeguarding health and safety in domestic dwellings?

There is inadequate protection against carbon monoxide hazards, this could be addressed by making the fitting of CO alarms compulsory when any type of fossil-fuel combustion appliance is installed.

· What are the costs of complying with the Regulations?

Adding CO alarms would add around £15 to the installers’ costs.

· How could the Regulations be revised to be streamlined and made more effective?

By amending App.Doc. J so CO alarms become mandatory across all fuels, it will in fact streamline the Building Regulations, as the separate requirement written in for solid-fuel appliances can be removed.

· What would be the consequence of the removal or significant reduction of the scope of the Building Regulations so far as they apply to electrical and gas installation and repairs in dwellings?

We are concerned by the implications of a significant reduction of the scope of Building Regs, but we feel that a more widespread use of domestic carbon monoxide alarms would mitigate the safety risks of such a reduction in scope.

Council of Gas Detection & Environmental Monitoring

January 2012