News

ABC report Saturday 3^rd December 2016..

Hundreds of thousands of homes across Australia are at risk of potentially dangerous gas leaks and fires due to the incorrect installation of multi-layer gas pipes outside houses, according to those in the industry.

They say the “ticking time bombs” are present in many new homes and apartments built in Australia over the past 10 to 15 years, especially in New South Wales and Victoria.

Forensic plumber Russell Kirkwood, who looked at thousands of homes over the past decade in his role with insurers and as a consultant, said he believed the vast majority of homes built during this period had the fault.

“This issue is a ticking time bomb,” he said.

“It will eventually effect thousands and thousands of people’s houses all across Australia.”

The yellow pipes, which have a plastic exterior and aluminium core, degrade when exposed to UV light.

They were considered safe if installed according to Australian Building Standards with an appropriate cover and had a lifespan of at least 50 years.

But pipes that were not properly protected were at risk of being damaged or breaking down quickly and leaking gas.

In extreme cases of high UV exposure, materials engineer Trevor Rowlands said they might only last years rather than decades.

“If there’s then a gas leak and it’s not detected … there would be a risk of a gas fire and in a worst case scenario potentially an explosion,” he told the ABC.

Mr Rowlands said a source of ignition such as a spark from a lawn mower, cigarette or naked flame could cause an explosion.

Depending on the proximity of any leak, the gas could also enter the house and make the occupants ill.

“This is a major safety issue,” Mr Kirkwood said.

 

Other people within the industry the ABC spoke with agreed the issue was a problem in Australia and posed a safety risk.

Extreme health and safety issue’

National regulators were considering banning the external use of the pipe altogether due to the level of non-compliance.

Energy Safe Victoria, which regulates the issue in commercial settings, said it had concerns about the installation in domestic homes.

“It’s clearly unacceptable, it’s non-compliance,” CEO Paul Fearon said.

“We wouldn’t say it’s widespread and systemic, but it’s certainly seems to be increasing.”

He had less of a concern about the safety risk.

“One could conceive of a circumstance where the supply is compromised and the remote chance there could be a safety issue,” he said.

Victorian Building Association (VBA) and Fair Trading NSW have told the ABC they do not believe the problem is widespread.

In a statement, the VBA said it conducted 5,617 audits on gas-related plumbing work and found just nine incidents of non-compliant work in relation to UV protection on gas pipework — none of which presented a health or safety risk.

However, when the ABC investigated homes at new housing areas in Melbourne’s west chosen at random, it found the exposed non-compliant yellow gas pipes were common — with some already degraded.

The ABC also saw correspondence from the VBA on a specific case of multiplayer pipe being exposed, in which its representative said: “If this pipe remains it could in the future pose an extreme health and safety issue.

A safety alert has been issued relating to Cannon Fitzroy and Canterbury inbuilt gas heaters built between 20 March 2001 and 8 October 2009.

Laboratory testing suggests that it may be possible that Cannon Fitzroy or Canterbury inbuilt gas heaters built between 20 March 2001 and 8 October 2009 could produce potentially hazardous levels of carbon monoxide if the heater is subjected to certain conditions, including the operation of rangehoods and other exhaust fans.  This risk may be increased if the inbuilt heater has not been installed properly, or if it has not been serviced regularly, or if your house is tightly sealed.

If you think you have one of these inbuilt gas heaters, you should not use it until it has been tested and deemed safe.

FOUR children, including a week-old baby, were found unconscious at a house in Lobethal on 29th August suffering carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty combustion heater, police said.

Their parents contacted paramedics just before 7am.

Inspector Gus Sickerdick said a faulty combustion fire and build up in the Main St home’s chimney has caused the poisonous gas to spread through the home’s heat transfer system into the children’s bedrooms.

“The parents found them in a state where they couldn’t rouse them and they became anxious and called the ambulance,” he said.

“When the ambulance got here from what I believe, they were responding but two of them, because of their age… being so young our major concern was to make sure that they are ok.”

An SA Ambulance Service spokesman said one of the children, a one-week-old baby, was taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital via ambulance, while the parents were taking the three others, aged one, four and nine, to also be checked in hospital.

In May 2010, Chase and Tyler Robinson died from carbon monoxide poisoning from an unserviced gas heater in their rental property. They were only eight and six years old.  Three years later,

The Chase and Tyler Foundation was launched alongside partners Energy Safe Victoria and Origin Energy, a not-for-profit organisation that works to reduce the risk of deaths and illness caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned, it is a silent killer that took the lives of my young sons. You can’t see it, taste it or smell it – faulty or un-serviced fuel burning appliances can be leaking carbon monoxide in your home unbeknownst to you,” said Ms Robinson.

“Our message is simple – people should have their fuel burning appliances serviced a minimum of every two years by a registered gasfitter. It could save the lives of you and your family.” ”I want to make sure that this does not happen to other families and to make sure that everyone gets to wake up with their kids in the morning,” said Ms Robinson.

The Foundation’s website, www.chaseandtyler.org.au, has information about the signs and symptoms or carbon monoxide and preventative measures people can take to keep safe

Vanessa appeared at the City Memorial Bowls Club on Thursday 24th April to talk about the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.

 

Energy Safe Victoria Brochure – Landlords’ Responsibilities.

Home Safe Brochure – Landlord Services