‘We can’t let people die in houses that aren’t safe’
Action from officials as well as better education are needed when it comes to oil-fired appliances in the territory, a jury has ruled.
Action from officials as well as better education are needed when it comes to oil-fired appliances in the territory, a jury has ruled.
The jury at last week’s coroner’s inquest into the deaths of five people from carbon monoxide poisoning in January 2012 has made nine recommendations for how to help prevent similar deaths. The jury unveiled the recommendations late Friday afternoon.
After listening to a week’s worth of testimony, the jury of six ruled the deaths accidental.
Of the recommendations, two surround improving the public’s education surrounding oil-fired appliances.
An ad campaign should be developed immediately to let the public know about the importance of having their masonry chimney inspected, the jury said.
A crumbling, unlined chimney, which was the inappropriate size for the heating system, led to ice, debris and soot building up and eventually trapping the deadly gas in the rented home, experts testified.
Similar problems are common around the Yukon, the jury heard.
An annual awareness campaign regarding the need for carbon monoxide detectors needs to be tied into the fire prevention programs currently taught in the Yukon education system, the jury recommended.
Carbon monoxide detectors were required according to the building code, both when a wood stove was installed in 2006 and when the oil heating system was installed three years later.
No such detectors were in the home.
The jury also calls on the government to implement recommendations from multiple studies done regarding oil-fired appliances in the Yukon.
A 2012 oil-fired appliances working group created after the tragedy recommended improved public education, training and creating an act specifically for oil-fired appliances.
But years before that, an expert was already warning the government of potential dangers.
Rod Corea completed five reports for the Yukon government between 2007 and 2010 calling attention to dangerous problems with oil-fired appliances in the territory.
In total, only four of the 305 appliances that were inspected met the safety codes, Corea testified Friday.
Corea made a number of recommendations for improving safety. When none of his recommendations were implemented, Corea refused to come back to complete more studies, the jury heard.
His recommendations also touch on the need for better education and legislation.
The trades should also improve documentation, the jury said.
This should include written information, photographs, and/or video of installation and modifications to fuel-fired appliances be included in the home’s permit and inspection file.
Homeowners should be given similar written reports, the jury says.
A blank inspection checklist for oil-fired appliances should be made available online and a sticker describing inspections should be developed and placed on fuel tanks.
The jury goes as far as recommending a permit be issued before any new or used oil-fired appliance can be sold.
Inquest juries do not place criminal blame following a tragedy. Their recommendations are not legally binding.
After sitting through a week’s worth of testimony, many members of the family shed tears after the recommendations were read.
Brad’s brothers, Cameron and Greg, say the family will be keeping an eye on things to make sure the recommendations are implemented.
“I think the recommendations call for public awareness and for governments to push things at a faster pace,” Cameron Rusk said.
“We need to move forward. We can’t hold back anymore. We can’t let people die in houses that aren’t safe.”
Cameron said the testimony from Corea was particularly hard to hear.
“It’s hard to hear that. We always hear that governments don’t do things fast enough and we’ve been part of that process now,” Cameron said.
Both brothers said they hope some good will be able to come out of their tragedy.
“If the recommendations here move forward, than at least we can know that they didn’t die in vain,” Greg said.
Brice Carruthers
Feb 11, 2013 at 5:02 pm
“This isn’t the south! We don’t need your darn regulations up here!”...How often have we heard this from contractors in every industry up here? There seems to be a culture some contractors believe in up here that implies they are entitled to huge profit margins without scrutiny, quality standards, and accountability. If some level of enforcement occurs, then they start whining. It is this same culture that leads to protests like Norcope’s two summers ago. There was probably intense lobbying against regulating the oil-furnace industry. If the Yukon Government has been weak in one area, it is expecting less from our contractors (just because we live in the Yukon) and always being reactive to situations instead of being proactive to avoid a tragedy before it happens. Government needs to grow a spine, get some gumption, and make safety of the public paramount instead of coddling local contractors.