Carbon monoxide (CO) kills! Every winter, people lose their lives due to CO gas poisoning in their bathrooms or kitchens. The cause is generally a malfunctioning heating appliance or water heater combined with poor room ventilation. CO cannot be smelled or seen; it is a silent killer. A simple detector-alarm can alert you to the danger by reacting within the very first minutes.
CO detector-alarms are an effective means of protection against poisoning. They must bear the CE marking according to the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive or the Radio Equipment Directive. Contrary to what most consumers believe, this CE marking does not attest to the device's detection performance. Its sole purpose is to guarantee a minimum level of immunity against electromagnetic interference to allow for free movement within the European Union.
Furthermore, sampling carried out by ANPI in recent years shows that commercially available devices that do not carry a quality mark such as BOSEC (in addition to the CE marking) are of insufficient quality. Many of them react too late or do not react at all in the presence of CO gas. This is why BOSEC certification for CO detectors remains the gold standard for guaranteed detection and warning performance.
Effective detection and alarming therefore require the installation of a detector whose reliability is certified under the BOSEC mark—a voluntary mark that attests to their quality.
We conduct tests on CO alarm devices according to the standards and specifications listed below for the purpose of certifying these products under the BOSEC mark. All these tests are covered by our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation by BELAC (https://ng3.economie.fgov.be/NI/belac/labotesting/scope_pdf/003-TEST.pdf):
- NBN EN 50291-1: Electrical apparatus for the detection of carbon monoxide in domestic premises - Part 1: Test methods and performance requirements.
- NTN 167-L: Alarm devices - Additional requirements for the BOSEC mark.
You would like to receive further information about our test: laboratoires@anpi.be
You would like to receive a quotation: sales@anpi.be
