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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