For small businesses running gas heating or catering equipment, that’s when carbon monoxide risk quietly increases, and the businesses that check now tend to avoid the scramble later.
Winter is when the risk peaks, but the checks happen now
Carbon monoxide poisoning deaths in the UK have historically peaked in December, and the reason isn’t complicated: more appliances running for longer, in colder weather, often with less ventilation as doors and windows stay shut. A working Carbon Monoxide Alarms system is the only reliable way to catch a build-up before it becomes dangerous, since the gas itself gives no warning at all.
Around 50 people die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK each year, and roughly 4,000 more need hospital treatment. A meaningful share of these cases trace back to appliances that had gone unchecked since they were last used, which for many small businesses means since the previous winter.
What tends to catch businesses out
A boiler or heater that worked fine in March doesn’t necessarily work fine in November. Appliances left dormant over summer can develop faults quietly, a blocked flue or a worn seal, and the first sign is often the alarm going off rather than anything visible. Safelincs, which supplies alarms and safety equipment to businesses across the country, sees a seasonal pattern every year: enquiries and incidents both climb sharply once the heating season properly begins.
Workshops and kitchens carry particular risk. An old workshop heater or a catering appliance in a converted room, running in a space that isn’t purpose built for ventilation, needs an alarm regardless of how long the business has operated safely without one.
A quick pre-winter check worth doing now
Get gas appliances serviced before the heating season properly starts, rather than waiting until the first cold snap forces the issue. Check that alarms are fitted in every room with a fixed combustion appliance, not just the obvious ones, and confirm they’re still within their working life rather than assumed fine because the light’s still on. Safelincs recommends replacing alarms once they reach the manufacturer’s stated life span rather than waiting for a fault, since the sensor degrades well before the alarm stops working outright. None of this takes long, and it’s far cheaper than the alternative.
The cost of getting it wrong
Beyond the immediate safety risk, employers have a legal duty to control risks from gas and combustion equipment. Getting caught out isn’t just a safety failure, it’s a compliance one too, and the two tend to surface at the same time. A proper check before winter sets in is a small job that avoids both problems at once.