A man whose partner and child were hospitalised due to carbon monoxide poisoning last week has spoken out about the safety standards in his accommodation.
James Stock, 21, claims that warning symbols at his property on Kingsland Road, Dalston, showed the boilers had been deemed unsafe.
Five people suffered carbon monoxide poisoning at the flats on 30 September, which left one man, two pregnant women and two children in hospital. Twenty-one people were evacuated from the building before firefighters could declare the area safe.
Video footage seen by Hackney Post shows the flat’s boilers and appliances all marked with warning signs stating they have been sealed off.
Mr Stock said: “Every single one of them [the boilers] has a yellow triangle on them saying it is an offence to use this appliance.”
When his child appeared unwell, he says that he checked boilers and called an ambulance.
“If I didn’t put two and two together, who would have known that carbon monoxide was spilling out?” he said. “Would I have woken up the next day?”
Mr Stock says he has had to buy two carbon monoxide alarms for his flat which had not been provided by the letting agent.
Dalston ward councillor Soraya Adejare told the Hackney Post the incident was being looked at.
She said: “The Council is, through a publicised campaign, promoting the new responsibilities landlords have and incidents like this illustrate how important this work is.”
London Fire Brigade Shoreditch watch manager Mark Lanaway said in a statement: “Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, with at least 50 deaths nationally recorded every year as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
The housing association which manages the property was contacted for comment but has not responded.
Photo by: Paul Hudson, Flickr
