Gas cookers were implicated in seven of 17 deaths and in 10 of 56 incidents caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009, according to the Corgi Trust.

The Trust, a charity set up in 2005 to improve gas safety, has now called for urgent attention to be given to enhancing cooker safety.

It also wants to see the potential dangers of cooker misuse “more widely advertised among manufacturers, gas installers, double glazing installers, building alteration approval officers and the general public”.
 
It pointed out that four of the seven deaths were linked to enclosed grill cookers that did not have automatic shut-off valves to cut off the gas supply when the grill door was shut.

“In 2007/08 there was only one incident reported with a cooker, whereas in 2008/09 there were 10, the highest number since Dangerous Incident Data Report (DIDR) records began in July 1996,” said Trust manager Nigel Dumbrell.

He added: “This is higher than the fatality rate associated with boilers and therefore an area of huge concern.”