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.
Carbon monoxide (CO), invisible, odorless, and deadly, causes more than 120 poisonings per year in the Brussels region.
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 leading cause of fatal poisoning reported to the Poison Control Center in Belgium, with over 100 hospitalizations per year on average. In Brussels, 2 to 3 people are poisoned each week, with a total of 4 deaths in 2024. A tragic figure, especially since these poisonings are preventable.
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:
heating appliances,
cookers,
fireplaces or poorly maintained water heaters,
poor chimney draught
or a lack of ventilation in rooms, (especially in winter).
Around 50% of cases occur in the bathroom, often due to poor ventilation.
The main advice to prevent CO poisoning is to have periodic PEB inspections of your boiler and water heater by a professional. Make sure they are a certified technician listed with Brussels Environment. This mandatory maintenance ensures the proper functioning of your appliance and your safety.
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 temporarily shut off the gas supply as a precaution until the installations have been upgraded to comply with the regulations.
In recent years, we have observed an increase in non-compliant installations, carried out by non-professionals or poorly maintained, which increases the risk of accidents. Despite our efforts to raise awareness among property managers and occupants about the dangers, necessary measures are not always taken.
Ventilation and Maintenance: Keys to Safety
To ensure safety, it is crucial to ventilate rooms regularly, not block ventilation grilles, and comply with the legal obligation to maintain heating and hot water appliances by a certified technician, annually for oil boilers or every two years for gas boilers.
Awareness Campaign at the Start of Winter
To raise public awareness, Sibelga, the Poison Control Centre and the Brussels Fire Brigade and Brussels Environment are launching a campaign running over several months. From October, the risk of CO poisoning increases as heating systems are restarted.
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).
