Gas Safety Strategy
Submission from the National Association of Caravan Clubs Ltd.
Our submission is concerned with the impact that the proposed" Gas Safety Strategy" would have on Caravans, and of course all other RV Vehicles such as Motorhomes and Campervans.
There are some 400.000 Caravans registered in Australia with another 200.000 plus Motor homes and Camper Trailers travelling our roads as their owners enjoy this great country of ours. All modern Caravans,Motorhomes and Campervans since 1989 have added ventilation vents added by the manufacture to avoid the possibility of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning that in the past may have occurred resulting in fatal accidents. With this in mind it is easy to assume that the statistics that statements being made such as that RV"S being smaller must be more prone to the problem of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning than houses. This of course is far from the truth as caravan and motorhome designers,manufactures as well as users themselves have accepted the problem and designed these units to be safe. It is easy to check this out by inspecting a RV unit and taking notice how Gas stoves, hot water units and stoves are all now very well vented as well as a safety vent that usually can be found towards the front of the unit.
Therefore due to the legislation that over the past years having been implemented there appears to be no negative statisticsto make changes as highlighted by your papers in fact needed.
The area of concern by your committee and all bodies associated with RV units whether they may be the consumer or the manufacturer's should be the use of portable gas heater appliancesin the confined area of a RV unit or in the confined area of a normal house. These appliances are only suitablefor outdooruse as recommended by the manufacture. I am led to believe that some house fires have been through the use of portable gas heaters. I fully believe that your committee should be looking at ways to implement an education program to all consumers whom purchase these heaters etc. A highly visible warning label should be attached to all new gas bottles and appliances clearly spelling out that the use of this unit in a confined area can result in Carbon Monoxide poisoning which could result in death.
Statistics from the "Recreational Vehicle Manufactures Association of Australia" show that in the years of 2010 and 2011 a total of 43,320 Caravans and Motorised RVs were produced and sold by manufactures throughout Australia. A further item states that that the industry's output has quadrupled in the past 17 years.
Information such as this furthers our belief that Gas Safety in RV vehicles of today and over the units builtover the past number of years are well and truly gas safe. This of course in many cases also depends on the user doing the right thing.
In conclusion we as a National Association of Caravan Clubs Ltd. which represent 145 clubs around Australia strongly feel that further controls which incur cost are not needed but we strongly ask the Gas Strategy Committee to consider safety warning labels to be attached to all portable gas appliances. We as a responsible group would only be to happy to work with in conjunction with your group in educating our members the danger of portable gas heaters etc in confined space's such as RV units.
Brian Kelleher
Chairman
National Association of Caravan Clubs Ltd.
mob 0418 525 242