Cuckoo in the nest
Highlighting the dangers of outdated boilers in council properties
the January full council meeting the IWCA asked if the council would be checking and replacing water tank thermostats without safety cut-outs as soon as possible.
Last month an inquest into the death of ten-month old Rhianna Hardie, who was killed by a cascade of scalding water when a hot water tank in her family’s council home burst, ruled that the tragedy could have been avoided if the government and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) had done more to publicise the dangers of faulty thermostats.
The inquest heard that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had received a report from the HSE on a similar case in which a woman died in 2002 but had not flagged it up because it was afraid of scaremongering.
As many as 3.5 million houses in the UK could have the type of heating system prone to the fault.
Oxford City Council will be issuing information to tenants and leaseholders, highlighting ‘warning signs’ and what to do if you see them. The council has also been fitting new-style thermostats with a safety cut-out on new and replacement installations since 2004. However, there is no programme for the systematic replacement of unsafe thermostats.
As a result of recent newspaper reports, the council will be bringing forward a report on the implications and costs of a replacement programme to March 2008.
The IWCA is concerned that, despite being aware of the dangers of these thermostats, Oxford City Council hasn’t already taken the necessary action to ensure that all its properties are safe.
In November 2005 the council was forced to take steps to identify and remove potentially hazardous asbestos from its housing stock after an IWCA motion highlighting the issue was passed. The council had initially tried to get the motion withdrawn, saying that it could cause ‘unnecessary concern’.
Leys Independent, issue 38, February 2008
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