Safety Stories

Each year in BC, numerous carbon monoxide (CO) incidents are reported to the authorities. Some come via 911 from panicked homeowners who have been alerted by their CO detector sounding.

Have you ever waited a moment too long to light a barbecue and been surprised by the “whoosh” as built-up gas ignites? Safety professionals call this a “hard light-off” or delayed ignition and, if you are outside, the result is typically a yelp followed by jokes about singed eyebrows.

It was like finding a ticking time bomb: a 240-volt electrical distribution panel with no safety cover under the back deck of a suburban home. Anyone accessing the panel would need to stand in an inch of water that saturated the ground under the deck.