Frank Field, MP for Birkenhead is to visit Carbon Monoxide detection specialist Detectagas at The Workshops, Marcos Street, Birkenhead on Friday December 14.  The new business start-up is pioneering a technology that can test the sensors used in CO detectors that are depended on by families to warn of the presence in the home of harmful quantities of this gas.

Around 50 people per year are killed by lethal concentrations of CO.  Many hundreds more suffer debilitating effects, ranging from short term headaches and flu-like symptoms through to permanent brain damage.  Problems arise from incomplete combustion of carbon based fuels in gas, oil, coal, coke and other appliances.  Incidents are common in winter when people use appliances that may not have been properly serviced and close ventilators and fill gaps to prevent cold drafts.

Inventor John Stones, managing director at Detectagas explained, "If you have a smoke alarm, and happen to burn the toast, the alarm will sound, it's a nuisance, but at least you know the unit works.  There is no similar way to verify the performance of a home CO detector, the test button checks just the circuits, not the sensor - and these are far less reliable than the ones in smoke detectors."

John's invention uses a simple shroud, a specially formulated aerosol and transfer tube.  Once the shroud is installed over the unit a five second pulse of gas is introduced by the tube from the aerosol.  The CO sensors operate on cycles of 6 minutes so if no alarm is triggered, then the sensor has failed and the homeowner needs a new alarm.  "The frightening issue is that sensors in CO alarm only last for up to five years, so many householders may have no remaining protection," said John.

Detectagas was established in Birkenhead with the backing of the Merseyside Special Investment Fund.  In three months, wide interest has been registered in the product from UK retailers and organisations.  The company has also had keen interest from the USA where there are up to 80 million CO detectors in use.

More Information
John Stones, Managing Director, Tel. +44 (0)151 647 3761 Fax. +44 (0)151 647 3859
E-mail: info@detectagas.com Web: www.detectagas.com
Detectagas Ltd, Unit 10, The Workshops, Marcus Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 1EU, UK

High/low resolution images are on the web at www.ainsmag.co.uk/de238/4499de1a.htm

December 12, 2007

Note to Editors
Press are welcome to attend.  The visit is scheduled for 3pm on Friday December 14.  The Workshops, off Marcus Street are in Foundry Building, a collection of new business units in a renovated industrial building, close to the old docks.  John Stones will be available for interview after the visit which is expected to take about 30 minutes.