Awareness campaign on carbon monoxide poisoning

The deadliest source of poisoning

"Carbon monoxide poisoning is the deadliest form of poisoning reported to the Poison Centre in Belgium, with an average of more than 100 hospitalisations per year. In Brussels, 2 to 3 people are poisoned every week, with a balance of four deaths in 2024. A tragic figure, all the more so because these poisonings can be prevented," explains Jonas Van Baelen, pharmacist and expert at the Poison Centre. The symptoms of CO poisoning are: headache, nausea, dizziness and in severe cases victims lose consciousness with possibly death as a result. In case of suspicious symptoms, it is imperative to call 112 immediately.

Sources of carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is released when fuels such as gas, petroleum or coal are incompletely combusted. Poisonings are mainly due to heating appliances, stoves, chimneys or boilers that have been poorly maintained, a poorly draught chimney or a lack of ventilation in rooms, especially when the windows are left closed to keep the heat in. They therefore occur mainly in autumn and winter. About 50% of cases occur in the bathroom, often because the room is not well ventilated. 

Christophe Danlois, EPB expert at Brussels Environment "The most important advice to prevent CO poisoning is a periodic EPB inspection of your boiler and boiler by a professional. Check that he is an approved technician on the lists of Brussels Environment. This mandatory maintenance ensures that your device works properly and guarantees your safety."

Sharp increase in the number of high-risk installations in homes

During their interventions following CO poisoning or when there is a suspicion of a risk, the emergency services always call on Sibelga. The experts of the 'Safety of indoor gas installations' team, a public service for which Sibelga is responsible, then determine whether there is a risk in the building or not. For safety reasons, they can preventively shut off the gas supply until the installations are made compliant again. "In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of non-compliant installations. Often these installations are the work of non-professionals or are poorly maintained. This increases the risk of accidents. Despite our efforts to make property managers and residents aware of the dangers, the necessary measures are often not taken," underlines Delphine Raymond, head of the Gas Exploitation Department at Sibelga.

Ventilation and maintenance: the keys to safety

"To ensure safety, it is essential to ventilate the rooms regularly and to keep ventilation grilles clear. The law also provides that heating appliances and appliances for the production of hot water must be serviced by a certified technician, annually for oil boilers and every two years for gas boilers," says Major Marc Baudhuin of the Prevention Department at the Brussels Fire Brigade.

Free home visits

In order to raise awareness of the risk of CO, Sibelga, the Poison Control Centre, the Brussels Fire Brigade and Brussels Environment are launching a campaign that will run over several months. From October, when people turn on the heating again, the risk of CO poisoning increases. In addition, the 'Safety at home' unit of the Prevention Department of the Brussels Fire Brigade offers free home visits to give advice on the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, residents are offered a CO detector free of charge (see External linkhttps://be.brussels/en/co-campaign).