Comments on: More Deaths from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

by: Onnik

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:27:44 +0000

Right, Garo. Which is why these guys are calling for just that. The prosecution of those installing heaters incorrectly. According to the IWPR report a number of people were being prosecuted which indicates that the blame lies in some cases with companies doing the installation.

In the case of the two dead students, however, it lies with the landlords for renting them fatally dangerous accomodation. Indeed, that is what they are calling for. Legislation and mechanisms to ensure that foreign students don’t rent such accomodation in the future. Bascally, those who died in the case DID NOT install the heater.

It is implied that the owner and landlord of the property did or was responsible for getting someone to do it without then checking to see if it had been done correctly. I wonder if a charge of manslaughter is applicable here. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that this letter and this post is precisely about what you say.

I can’t really fathom blaming anyone else other than people inappropriately installing such units.

Exactly, and the whole point of this post.

by: Christian Garbis

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:38:43 +0000

I really think this problem largely stems from the way gas heaters are installed. If done properly they are entirely safe to use. You can buy these things at most hardware stores throughout Yerevan as well as the duct piping that you need to expel the carbon monoxide from homes. Although setting up these things is not extremely difficult, the problem is how they need to be hooked up. Some apartment buildings offer central chimneys with sometimes hidden outlets in apartments to which the piping can be attached.Or else in some instances the piping can be hermetically attached to windows to get rid of the CO that way. If you do not make the proper hook ups, you are going to get gas poisioning–it’s simple as that and I can’t really fathom blaming anyone else other than people inappropriately installing such units. Also some of these things have carbon monoxide sensors and can detect when poison levels are high, but obviously not all. People simply need to find the right person to install them and shouldn’t do it by themselves if they don’t know what they’re doing–this happens all the time because Armenians think they know everything. Perhaps the ARG-Gasprom gas company or whatever it’s called should do more to ensure people don’t die from gas poisoning by offering free heater hook-ups for example–it would be a good start.

by: dashphire

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:37:38 +0000

It seems that this type of death is pretty common, why the government hasn’t made some sort mandatory rule for every living space to have some sort of carbon monoxide detectors or other ways to prevent such deaths.
Seta is one of my closest friends here in vancouver, and now she’s gone…

R.I.P.

by: Onnik

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 02:38:20 +0000

Right, some good points there Beate, especially about the carbon monoxide. I think we all say “gas” not thinking about what we really mean. Maybe it’s because we consider gas inherently and potentially dangerous, or maybe it’s just because we’re ignorant about carbon monoxide, I don’t know.

Regarding the smell of gas, however, I don’t know as I won’t have a gas heater installed because I just don’t trust them. However, Ara seems to suggest that there is no smell, but as I said, I don’t know. Interesting, however, to have a comment about the situation in Georgia because you also have fatalities there as well.

Of course, there was one very notable casualty, but I guess many Georgians still don’t believe that it truly was an accident. Anyway, what I would be interested in learning is whether you have public safety campaigns in Georgia. Don’t think we have any here, although to be honest, I don’t watch Armenian TV as it’s just too crap.

by: Beate

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 01:31:08 +0000

Are you sure your gas does not smell? In Georgia recently I could give you the name, address and housenumber of every house with a gas leak I walked past on the way to work - the smell was pretty strong! Why should gas in Armenia be different from that in Georgia? It comes from the same source.

I am also not sure that natural gas poisons people - it is more likely to lead to explosions, especially considering the high rate of smoking in Armenia.

What may have happened in this case is that a gas appliance did not have a proper exhaust for its exit gases, leaking carbon monoxide into the living areas. This does not explode or smell, so people do not realise they are being poisoned. It’s quite a common occurrence, in Europe as well. Nothing can be added to gas to make carbon monoxide ’smellable’. This can only be prevented by having proper rules on the installation of gas appliances - but could they be applied in Armenia? I doubt it very much. It would be better to give all foreign students information about what to look for when looking at possible flats, and an advertising campaign in Armenian media telling Armenians about the risks.

by: m.Pierce

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:45:27 +0000

I have seen many instances where the new gas lines being retrofitted to old apartment building are run outside the wall in kitched, even OVER stoves. The pipes are not single pieces but soldered together (poorly), making leaks even more likely, and deadly.

There is no smell additive to the new gas lines so a resident cannot tell when there is a gas leak. This would make a huge difference in fatalities

This will be a continuing tragedy even as the donors boast that they have given residents gas to replace the old cylinders.

I think this is a major health hazard.