• By Robin Sheeran
• BBC News NI

23 October 2022

Image source, Getty Images

People in Northern Ireland need to be aware of the dangers involved with heating their homes this winter, the fire and rescue service has warned.

As the cost of living continues to rise, for some it could mean turning to energy sources which have not been regularly serviced.

Chimney sweep Craig Morrow told BBC News NI he recently worked on a chimney which had not been swept for 20 years.

This was down on 809 the previous year.

There has also been a 50% decrease in house fire fatalities, with three recorded during the same period. That is down from six in 2018/19.

However, firefighters have issued safety tips and a warning that if people turn to older electrical heaters or cut corners with servicing, there could be a fire risk.

Group Commander Suzanne Fleming said portable heaters that had not been used for some time is a particular concern.

Check the cable is not frayed and don’t place the heater too close to a sofa or curtains, she warned.

“Open fires would be the other great risk,” Ms Fleming continued.

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“If people try to use chimneys that haven’t been used for some time they may actually be blocked,” she told BBC News NI.

Turning to the dangers of carbon monoxide, the danger comes “with any fossil fuel that you burn”.

“It will make you drowsy and you won’t know you’re getting drowsy,” the senior firefighter said.

Image caption,

Chimney sweeps can be booked up months ahead

Craig Morrow, a chimney sweep who is based in Belfast, said “all it takes is one hot ember to go up the chimney” to cause a chimney fire.

He advised that people should have chimneys swept at least once a year, or twice if it is in use during the summer.

A chimney fire, he explained, can start when a type of soot called creosote forms.

Wood-burning stoves, gas fires and Aga-type cooker chimneys also need to be cleaned, he added.

Mr Morrow warned that some people have turned to using chimneys which had been dormant for decades, partly due to it being a cheaper source of energy as prices rise.

‘Test appliances’

Gas engineer Gordon Glenn said boilers need to be regularly maintained.

“Some insurance policies will make your home insurance null and void if your boiler has not been serviced once a year,” he said.

Carbon monoxide alarms too, as these will “usually last for seven years,” he explained.

“It’s a secondary level of householder safety. For the price of a carbon monoxide detector and a proper inspection by a qualified person it could save somebody’s life.

“You wouldn’t ride a bike to Dublin that’s been sitting for 12 months without checking the brakes first, so why would you use an appliance that hasn’t been tested,” he added.

If you’re having gas appliances serviced you’ll need to find an engineer who’s on the Gas Safe Register.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Firefighters are concerned people could be creating fire hazards by cutting back on costs

How to stay safe

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has compiled a list of safety measures for people to follow in their homes.

• Those with chimneys that have not been used for a while must ensure they are not blocked. They must be serviced by a qualified person
• Always use a fire guard for an open fire
• A carbon monoxide alarm must be in the same room as a fire – fires can produce carbon monoxide which you cannot see nor smell
• Portable heaters or electric blankets must be checked first – no frayed wires or damaged, loose wiring
• Do not overload plug sockets – this can cause overheating
• When using portable heaters do not place items in front of them – they can catch fire. Do not leave them unattended and turn them off before going to sleep
• Do not dry clothes on portable heaters

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Patient Responses May Influence Services and Funding; Help Experts Understand Causes, Treatment, Prevention

By Suzanne Leigh

Kim Rhoads, MD, MPH (left) and Carina Marquez, MD, will co-lead community engagement for the Let’s Figure Out Long COVID – Tell Us Your Story, Bay Area study.

UC San Francisco, San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and San Mateo County Health (SMC Health) are partnering with local community groups in a quest to learn about long COVID. To achieve this, researchers from the project, Let’s Figure Out Long COVID – Tell Us Your Story, Bay Area, will be calling local residents of all ethnicities and backgrounds who previously had COVID.

Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-COv-2 (PASC), refers to both physical and mental health symptoms that last long after an initial infection. Those symptoms may start during infection and never go away or may appear weeks or months afterwards. Common complaints include fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, problems with concentration, depression and anxiety.

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Project Phase I

Researchers will call at least 1,000 San Francisco and San Mateo adult residents who had COVID at least three months ago.

Project Phase II

Some previous interviewees will be asked to join a more detailed research study called RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) that will last three to four years. Study participants will be compensated for their time.

The goals of the project are to learn how common long COVID is in the community – information that is critical in impacting funding for local health departments and services for those debilitated by the condition – as well as to learn what causes it, and how to prevent and treat it.

In Phase I of the project, researchers will call San Francisco and San Mateo County adult residents who had COVID at least three months ago. Whether they have fully recovered or still have symptoms, their experiences will inform researchers about the frequency of long COVID. All ethnic groups and neighborhoods will be represented, and researchers are especially interested in hearing from Black/African American, Latino, Pacific Islander and Native American communities who have experienced higher rates of infections, hospitalizations and deaths than other groups.

In Phase II, some people who were previously interviewed will be asked to join a more detailed research study sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health. This study, called RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery), will last three to four years. Study participants will be compensated for their time.

COVID Has Had ‘Devastating Impact’ on Marginalized Communities

“Aside from the devastating impact COVID has had on societally marginalized communities, we have no idea what the long-term consequences will be,” said Kim Rhoads, MD, MPH, from the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and the study’s community engagement co lead.

“The project will help us get a better handle on how many people are affected by long COVID, and how we might intervene to reduce the additional burden the disease will likely place on communities of color,” added Rhoads, who is also the founder of Umoja Health Partners, which unites local organizations combatting COVID-19 in Black communities, as well as the director of the Office of Community Engagement at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Ensuring representation and equity in the community is fundamental to this study,” says Carina Marquez, pictured here (center right) at a COVID testing event in San Francisco’s Mission District. Image by Susan Merrell

“We know that communities have concerns about the effects of long COVID, and we still have a lot to learn about this condition,” said Susan Philip, MD, San Francisco’s Health Officer. “This is why it is vital that we make progress in studying long COVID in communities of color that have been most impacted by COVID-19. We need to know how we can best treat it, to inform how we can provide a targeted public health approach toward supporting communities where it is needed most,” she said.

“The partnership with UCSF and SFDPH will enable us to enhance “our capacity to understand the long-term effects of COVID,” said Curtis Chan, MD, San Mateo County’s deputy health officer. “This will help us prevent and treat long COVID, and strengthen our county’s analysis of other health inequities in the future,” he said.

“Through our patient care and work in the community, we have seen firsthand the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on Latino and Black communities in the Bay Area,” said Carina Marquez, MD, of the UCSF Department of Medicine and the study’s community engagement co-lead. “Ensuring representation and equity in the community is fundamental to this study.”

Minority Populations ‘Need to Have Their Stories Heard’

Community organizations will assist in ensuring that input from the community accurately reflects those ethnic groups and neighborhoods where COVID-19 has been most prevalent.

“Black, Latinx and Pacific Islander communities in San Mateo County need to have their stories heard about the impact of long COVID. Many are suffering in silence,” said Lisa Tealer, executive director of the Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council, who is working with the San Francisco Latino Task Force and Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates in its outreach efforts. Valerie Tulier-Laiwa, executive committee member of the San Francisco Latino Task Force, said she would welcome the results of the study, “so we can continue to improve health outcomes for communities of color heavily impacted by COVID-19.”

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