Oxford's oldest student newspaper

Independent since 1920

Scheme to honour late Press Officer

Oxford University has announced that it is offering discounted carbon monoxide alarms to all its members in memory of a Press Officer who died from gas poisoning two years ago.

Katie Haines, 31, died suddenly from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty boiler. 
A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said that the scheme was implemented because, “We wanted to find a way to help Oxford University students and staff protect themselves against carbon monoxide, an invisible, odourless, and potentially lethal gas that can be given off by any fuel burning appliance that isn’t operating properly, such as a faulty boiler.
“Our offer means for £15 students can buy an audible carbon monoxide detector that will sound the alarm in the event of a carbon monoxide leak.”
The spokesperson said that, two years ago, Haines “left work at 6pm, got home at 7pm and was dead by 8pm, because of a faulty boiler. She was just 31. 
“We lost a much-loved friend and colleague who we still miss to this day. Working with Katie’s parents, Gordon and Avril, we arranged this offer in an effort to make sure that this sort of tragedy doesn’t happen in the future.”
He concluded that Katie Haines’ death was “entirely preventable, if only she’d had an audible carbon monoxide detector.”
Alarms are available to staff and students alike for £15 including delivery, and the University has encouraged all to “take this opportunity to protect yourself and your family. You could also get a detector delivered to a family member or friend elsewhere.”
Haines’ parents and her husband Richard have set up The Katie Haines Memorial Trust to promote awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide to “vulnerable groups” in society, including students living in low cost accommodation, the elderly, and holidaymakers who cannot be sure of safety checks on accommodation. The Trust suggests using Carbon Monoxide detectors to warn of leaks that could prove fatal.
The gas, usually given off by faulty appliances such as boilers, is odourless and colourless, and killed 25 people in the UK in the year 2010/2011.
An Oxford landlord was recently ordered to pay almost £5000 after a faulty boiler could have put his student tenants at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that the boiler had been faulty for two years.
Dr Tariq Mahmood, a GP from Glasgow, appeared in Oxford Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to breaching gas safety regulations at his property in East Oxford.

Oxford University has announced that it is offering discounted carbon monoxide alarms to all its members in memory of a Press Officer who died from gas poisoning two years ago.

Katie Haines, 31, died suddenly from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty boiler.

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford said that the scheme was implemented because, “We wanted to find a way to help Oxford University students and staff protect themselves against carbon monoxide, an invisible, odourless, and potentially lethal gas that can be given off by any fuel burning appliance that isn’t operating properly, such as a faulty boiler.“

Our offer means for £15 students can buy an audible carbon monoxide detector that will sound the alarm in the event of a carbon monoxide leak.”

The spokesperson said that, two years ago, Haines “left work at 6pm, got home at 7pm and was dead by 8pm, because of a faulty boiler. She was just 31. 

“We lost a much-loved friend and colleague who we still miss to this day. Working with Katie’s parents, Gordon and Avril, we arranged this offer in an effort to make sure that this sort of tragedy doesn’t happen in the future.”

He concluded that Katie Haines’ death was “entirely preventable, if only she’d had an audible carbon monoxide detector.”

Alarms are available to staff and students alike for £15 including delivery, and the University has encouraged all to “take this opportunity to protect yourself and your family. You could also get a detector delivered to a family member or friend elsewhere.”

Haines’ parents and her husband Richard have set up The Katie Haines Memorial Trust to promote awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide to “vulnerable groups” in society, including students living in low cost accommodation, the elderly, and holidaymakers who cannot be sure of safety checks on accommodation.

The Trust suggests using Carbon Monoxide detectors to warn of leaks that could prove fatal.The gas, usually given off by faulty appliances such as boilers, is odourless and colourless, and killed 25 people in the UK in the year 2010/2011.

An Oxford landlord was recently ordered to pay almost £5000 after a faulty boiler could have put his student tenants at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that the boiler had been faulty for two years.

Dr Tariq Mahmood, a GP from Glasgow, appeared in Oxford Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to breaching gas safety regulations at his property in East Oxford.

Check out our other content

Most Popular Articles