Energy type: 
LPG
 
Event summary: 
WorkSafe Energy Safety was alerted to the carbon monoxide poisoning of a 12 year old boy through its media monitoring service. The newspaper article said he was overcome by fumes from a gas water heater in a shower unit.
 
Accident ID: 
181013-04
 
Accident date: 
10 October 2018
 
Site: 
Domestic
 
Environment: 
Building
 
Voltage: 
N/A
 
Equipment: 
Water heater instantaneous
 
Accident type: 
Carbon monoxide poisoning
 
Casualty: 
Fatality
 
Injury: 
Asphyxiation
 
Property damage level: 
No property damage
 
Outcome of investigation: 

There were three elements that led to the fatal CO poisoning:

  • The unlawful action of installing an open flued gas appliance (water heater) in a prohibited space such as a bathroom.
  • The unlawful omission of failing to provide adequate fixed ventilation in a space when installing an open flued gas appliance.
  • The operation of a ventilation system that created negative pressure in an inadequately ventilated space.

These three elements led to a situation where the flame became starved of oxygen (vitiated) which led to a rapid build-up of carbon monoxide in the shower cubicle. The removal of any one of these elements may have prevented the incident.

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