Thomas Cook will be making substantial donations to 6 charities and CO-Gas Safety was mentioned first. See http://news.sky.com/story/1488464/thomas-cook-goodwill-payout-to-corfu-family

We are so grateful to the Corfu parents for this.

Chrsti and Bobby Shepherd will always be remembered by CO-Gas Safety.

We are also grateful to our founders, Molly Maher, the late David Jenkins from RoSPA and Nigel Griffiths an MP in 1995.

We are extremely grateful to all those who have kept us going in so many ways over the years. We continue to work to raise awareness of this hidden danger, provide help for victims and work for sensible safety measures to prevent deaths and injuries from CO and other gas dangers including all other products of combustion.

PRESS RELEASE

CO-Gas Safety thanks the Corfu parents and Thomas Cook for the promise of a very generous donation to the charity to enable it to continue its valuable work of trying to prevent deaths and injuries from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. The charity also raises awareness of the dangers, provides victim support and collects, collates and publishes data.

In 19 years we have counted 677 deaths and over 4,700 near misses or injuries from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the UK. We have also counted 32 deaths of UK citizens abroad of CO. We know we only receive the tip of an iceberg. Even in cases of unexplained death, bodies are not automatically tested for CO.

We pay tribute to the courage and determination of the Corfu parents and in this long fight.

Many people are still unaware of the dangers and how to prevent CO poisoning. We have lobbied for prime time TV warnings since 1995. Proof is always a real issue because so often landlords will remove the appliance or change it. We can help victims prove their case if they preserve the evidence & contact us soon enough.

In the Corfu case we recommended Harry Rogers, gas expert court witness who undertook an investigation for the parents. In our opinion, without Harry’s investigation, the facts would never have emerged. We are also hugely grateful to Leslie Thomas QC who supported the family so brilliantly in every way.

Our advice is always to get carbon based fuelled* appliances properly installed and maintained, keep chimneys and flues clear, ensure adequate ventilation and install a CO alarm to EN 50291.* (Gas, coal, wood, petrol, diesel etc.)

A battery operated CO alarm to EN 50291 can be taken on holiday even in hand luggage. Why don’t airport shops sell them?

We ask why the energy companies are not funding CO-Gas Safety to help continue this vital work?

Our thanks again to the Corfu parents and Thomas Cook.

Christi and Bobby will always be remembered by CO-Gas Safety.

The verdict of ‘unlawful killing’ and a finding that Thomas Cook breached their Duty of Care following an inquest into the deaths of Christianne & Robert Shepherd, presents the Travel Industry with a wake-up call on hotel safety!

The Jury revealed a number of short-comings in the hotel property and in particular the boiler and its maintenance, but the most important concerns raised by the Jury related to how the hotel property was assessed.

It is on the question of assessment of hotel accommodation that concerns HolidayTravelWatch and Co-Gas Safety and whilst they campaign on a wide range of safety issues, the Corfu case reveals the deficit in assessment on Carbon Monoxide.

Both Organisations consider that the time has come for Tour Operators & Hoteliers to embrace a better risk assessment model through:

1. The Precautionary Principle;
2. Adopting the EU ‘4 Components on Risk Management’
3. Creating a broader based risk assessment conclusion model:
   1. Evidence based conclusions;
   2. Probability based conclusions, and
   3. Comparative based conclusions.

The Organisations support the current EU Green Paper proposals on Safety in Holiday Accommodation and now call for an urgent introduction of Regulation which incorporates the ‘Precautionary Principle’ issues detailed above.

Frank Brehany, the Consumer Director for HolidayTravelWatch states:

“In memory of Christianne & Robert Shepherd I say that there is no longer any valid argument to delay and import a greater protection for holidaymakers in their holiday accommodation. We must not let this important verdict pass by without firm and resolute action; light-touch regulation simply does not work!”

He concludes,

“I also support the sage words and comments of my fellow campaigner, Stephanie Trotter”.

Stephanie Trotter, The President of CO-Gas Safety states:

“I want to pay tribute to the courage and determination of Sharon, Paul, Neil and Ruth for fighting hard for this inquest to find out what went wrong so that others don’t have to suffer a similar terrible tragedy”

She adds,

“Money seems to be treated as much more important than life and death. This must change now”

She further adds,

“I’d like to thank the Coroner and jury for the care they have taken. It is only from learning from such deaths that we can work to prevent future deaths. CO-Gas Safety almost certainly has the best data in the UK but can’t get funding from wealthy gas charities. Most people don’t know about CO or how quickly it can kill. We want prime time TV warnings – all fuels, all appliances and all types of accommodation from bungalows to boats”

She concludes,

“Advice to people going abroad; Find out about CO – take a CO alarm to EN 50291 with you. Cost about £20. Not much to save a life. Why don’t airport shops sell CO alarms? We ask holidaymakers to inspect and report problems in their accommodation when they arrive and use a common sense approach when inspecting their holiday property – if something looks out of place, it probably is – complain!”.

Related Articles

• A Guest Article from Educatio Ad Infinitum which provides holiday advice on ‘Safe Summers’
• Call for Cabinet Office to respond on educational films for Carbon Monoxide in Holidays
• After 141 Days, Consumer Group calls for Cabinet Office to respond on Carbon Monoxide issues!
• Travel Consumer Group calls for Westminster Lobby Register!
• Lobbying for Travel Rights and HolidayTravelWatch
• 20 Ridiculous Holiday Complaints: The Consumer Experience 2013!
• Day 352 – Consumer Group calls on the Cabinet Office to demonstrate leadership on CO+
• HolidayTravelWatch congratulates CO-Gas Safety on its 20th Year
• Speech at the House of Lords; Carbon Monoxide and the State of Consumer Campaigning!
• Responsible Holidaymaker saves worker from Carbon Monoxide!

Thomas Cook ‘breached duty of care’ over deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd, jury finds

Gave a TV interview and radio interview.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/corfu-carbon-monoxide-inquest-thomas-cook-breached-duty-of-care-over-deaths-of-bobby-and-christi-shepherd-jury-finds-10247179.html

Gave an interview on Leeds radio about the Corfu tragedy at 7.00 a.m. 27th April 2015 because the UK inquest is starting today almost a decade after these terrible deaths of Christi and Bobbi Shepherd. My heart goes out to the parents, Sharon and Neil and I do hope they get answers at last.

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View this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmapBWFQu3o

Press Release put out 24.10.14.

CO-Gas Safety, the Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety society considers that plans to financially incentivise GPs to diagnose dementia will place many thousands of people, particularly the elderly, at increased risk of misdiagnosis of chronic carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

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Thank you to all the friends and family of a girl who died of carbon monoxide poisoning and in whose memory we walked Pen-Y-Fan on Saturday 4th October 2014.

Following Gas Safety Week last month, Stephanie Trotter, OBE, President and Director of CO-Gas Safety participated in a charity mountain climb.

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Were part of a party presenting a petition to the local council with regard to seven year old Zane Gbangbola’s death February 2014 http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/zane-gbangbolas-family-friends-present-7937825

This march took place on Tuesday 2nd October 2014. We met at 1pm at Spelthorne Leisure Centre car park and marched together to the council offices.

Huge thanks to Peter Dean, President of the Coroners Society who so kindly invited me to the conference (September 2014) and allowed me a table and to give out our press packs and a hand-out especially for Coroners and a quiz on CO. I was also allowed to address the conference for about five minutes. Thanks to all the Coroners who made me feel very welcome.

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Do see the amusing but true quote at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tonybenn149401.html#4O5KgwZoGK5FVZ0W.99  It’s the same each time with progress. First they ignore you, then they say you’re mad, then dangerous, then there’s a pause and then you can’t find anyone who disagrees with you.

Roland Johns (retired British Gas Investigator & trainer and consultant trainer) is going to run the certificated CO Awareness Workshop with 40 SGN apprentices (10 at each event), the course is now part of their training programme. The dates are: 27 Aug and 16 Sept 2014 Portchester, 28 Aug and 17 Sept 2014 Burgess Hill.