Awareness campaign against carbon monoxide poisoning
Awareness campaign against carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO), an invisible, odourless and deadly gas, causes more than 120 cases of poisoning every year in Brussels. To tackle this hazard, Sibelga, the Poison Control Centre and the Brussels Fire Brigade are launching a major awareness campaign aimed at informing and protecting citizens.
The deadliest form of poisoning
CO poisoning can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and, in serious cases, loss of consciousness that can lead to death. If you have any suspicious symptoms, call 112 immediately.
Carbon monoxide is the main cause of fatal poisoning reported to the Belgian Poison Control Centre, with an average of 19 deaths per year between 2018 and 2023. In Brussels, 2 to 3 people are poisoned every week, with a death toll of 3 per year. A tragic figure, all the more so as these cases of poisoning are avoidable.
Sources of carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels such as gas, oil or coal. Poisoning is mainly caused by poorly maintained heating appliances, cookers, fireplaces or water heaters, poor chimney draught or a lack of ventilation in rooms, particularly when windows are closed to keep in heat. Around 50% of cases occur in the bathroom, often due to poor ventilation.
Sharp increase in the number of high-risk installations in homes
When responding to cases of CO poisoning or a suspected risk, the emergency services always call on Sibelga. The experts working for the "Safety of Indoor Gas Installations" team, a public service provided by Sibelga, then determine whether the building is at risk. For safety reasons, they may decide to shut off the gas supply as a precaution until the installations have been upgraded to comply with the regulations.
In recent years, we have seen an increase in poorly maintained or non-compliant installations, often carried out by non-professionals, which increases the risk of accidents. Despite our efforts to make building owners and occupants aware of the dangers, the necessary measures are not always taken.
Ventilation and maintenance: the keys to safety
To guarantee safety, it is crucial to ventilate rooms regularly, not to block ventilation grilles, and to comply with the legal obligation to have heating and hot water appliances serviced by an approved technician, either every year for oil-fired boilers or every two years for gas-fired boilers.
To raise public awareness, Sibelga, the Poison Control Centre and the Brussels Fire Brigade are launching a campaign running over several months, because from October onwards, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases as heating systems come back on. The campaign will include radio adverts, videos, competitions to win CO detectors, flyer distribution and vox pops. Furthermore, the “Awareness” unit of the SIAMU Prevention Department offers home visits to provide advice on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, and will supply carbon monoxide detectors (please contact sensibilisation@firebru.brussels).
