Safety warning after Macclesfield Canal boat CO tragedy

BSSOffice

BSSOffice

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Milton Keynes MK9
www.boatsafetyscheme.org
Not good news from me I'm afraid.

This advice is very basic and the detail can be read on our Stay Safe advice pages, but it fairly much sums up what to do.

Carbon Monoxide, CO, is deadly, but it can be prevented and it can be detected. Lower the risks - install right, maintain well, run properly including things needing ventilation and things with exhausts. And if things do still go wrong, you'll need a CO alarm to keep you alive.

http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/news/local-news/safety-warning-after-macclesfield-canal-11043952

Safety advice has been issued after a man was poisoned by fatal carbon monoxide fumes from the engine of his boat.

Christopher Reuben, 52, was found dead on his dawncraft called Nomadic on October 15 last year.

www.boatsafeyscheme.org/co for detailed tips and info.
 
Remind me where was the local authority who wanted boats in its area to be exempt from BSC examinations..... Windermere ?
 
I bought a digital CO and temperature from B & Q for under £30. I have a Pansey charcoal heater on my 106 year old sailing boat. To get started I open the bottom to create the updraft, never had any reading on the CO monitor. When I boil a kettle on my Origo spirit stove I get 20 ppm (whatever that is) and left the kettle on the lowest setting by mistake - a hour later the monitor was screaming at me with a noise to wake anybody, reading 90 ppm. Strongly advise getting a similar device.
 
boatone said:
I have just bought a Kidde combined CO and Smoke alarm from Amazon for under £18 - its a no-brainer really.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M1Q70K4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
Click to expand...

In Dover Marina last year I was visited by a team of six fire-fighters, all kitted-out in their best. They were giving away CO & CO2 alarms (yes, free!).
I gratefully accepted their offer and fitted it immediately. By which time the team had gone.

Yes, you guessed: alarm didn't work!!

But the thought was there.
 
MartynG said:
Perhaps a functioning CO alarm should be a BSS requirement?
Click to expand...

A very good point. I would like the BSS office to let us know what their thoughts are on this. Most, although not all, CO deaths on board boats seem to be inland, and therefore under the BSS umbrella.

Sadly I think this is not going to be the last CO death we hear about on a boat. I don't know what else can be done. There is already plenty of publicity about these tragedies in the boating media and on sites like this. It's almost Darwinian now.
 
boatone said:
I have just bought a Kidde combined CO and Smoke alarm from Amazon for under £18 - its a no-brainer really.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M1Q70K4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
Click to expand...

We have just bought and installed a similar one.

http://www.lyco.co.uk/carbon-monoxi...TDjUPaAWnlk_HfHeATcpakARrZkAqJmyQehoCbfzw_wcB

It does seem to be very sensitive though. Doesn't like it when we cook toast!

We have installed it so that we can quickly remove it into the cockpit when cooking.
 
I did have a CO alarm on board when we had the BSS test in November. But I am sure its not mandatory.
On another forum someone with experience with a petrol engined boat indicated a CO alarm was no use as it was too easily activated by exhaust fumes !
 
MartynG said:
On another forum someone with experience with a petrol engined boat indicated a CO alarm was no use as it was too easily activated by exhaust fumes !
Click to expand...
An interesting perspective from that other forum. Having raised similar ideas and queries such as that with CoGDEM, the alarm industry would say that if the CO alarm is activating because petrol engine exhaust fumes are entering the cabin then people aboard are at risk of CO poisoning and action should be taken to halt the build-up of fumes.

On private use boats, CO alarms are very strongly recommended, but they are not part of the BSS examination check.
 
BSSOffice said:
An interesting perspective from that other forum. Having raised similar ideas and queries such as that with CoGDEM, the alarm industry would say that if the CO alarm is activating because petrol engine exhaust fumes are entering the cabin then people aboard are at risk of CO poisoning and action should be taken to halt the build-up of fumes.

On private use boats, CO alarms are very strongly recommended, but they are not part of the BSS examination check.
Click to expand...
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...ctor-recommendation-pls&p=5640245#post5640245
 
Couple of years ago lock staff at Allington were giving them away to anyone transiting the lock.
On now residing on may cabin roof.
No good of course if battery knackered,check frequently.
 
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