Recurring concern

Inadequate safety controls for helium canisters

First to latest report 20 Nov 2013 — 20 Mar 2015

Reports that mention this concern: 3
Times this concern has been raised: 9
Stated actions linked to this concern: 0

What this concern includes

Includes failures of controls specifically dedicated to the safety of helium canisters, including clear and sufficient safety information, restrictions on purchase quantities, control of canister volume and valves or equivalent features that limit gas release.

What is not included

Excludes generic product warnings or labelling failures where helium canisters are not the material product; those belong to the broader product-warning concern.
Excludes general toxic-gas, chemical or substance-access concerns without a specific helium-canister context.
Excludes routine storage, transport or disposal failures unless they directly concern the safety controls of helium canisters.
Excludes clinical, mental-health or other downstream harms where no deficiency in helium-canister safety controls is identified.

Trends

Reports over time

Reports mentioning this concern, over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Home Office2

Department of Health and Social Care1

Reports and published responses 3 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

20 Mar2015
Leicester City and South Leicestershire
Concerns raised3
1. Large-volume helium canisters
2. Failure to attach modified control valves restricting helium gas release volume
3. Lack of controls on individual helium canister purchase quantities
Linked response

Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions 1
1. Department of Health and Social Care
  Evidence that even small amounts of helium can cause death means controls on availability would be ineffective.
  Disputes the concern
AI-generated summary

Brenda Kathryn Gabrielle Leyland · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Brenda Leyland was found deceased in a hotel room on 4 October 2014 after buying helium canisters to end her life; the inquest concluded suicide. The concerns were the free availability of helium canisters, the lack of controls on purchase quantities, their large volume, and the absence of a modified control valve to restrict gas release.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Large-volume helium canisters
Wider context from the report
“(1) That helium gas is freely available in canisters and there appears to be no controlling measures on how many canisters can be bought by an individual. (2) The size of the helium canisters are of large volume. (3) There is no modified control valve attached to the canisters which would restrict the volume of gas being released. ”
Source location
Brenda Kathryn Gabrielle Leyland · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to attach modified control valves restricting helium gas release volume
Wider context from the report
“(1) That helium gas is freely available in canisters and there appears to be no controlling measures on how many canisters can be bought by an individual. (2) The size of the helium canisters are of large volume. (3) There is no modified control valve attached to the canisters which would restrict the volume of gas being released. ”
Source location
Brenda Kathryn Gabrielle Leyland · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of controls on individual helium canister purchase quantities
Wider context from the report
“(1) That helium gas is freely available in canisters and there appears to be no controlling measures on how many canisters can be bought by an individual. (2) The size of the helium canisters are of large volume. (3) There is no modified control valve attached to the canisters which would restrict the volume of gas being released. ”
Source location
Brenda Kathryn Gabrielle Leyland · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Evidence that even small amounts of helium can cause death means controls on availability would be ineffective.

Verbatim wording from the response
“Having reviewed the response in the case of Matthew Satterthwaite, which was sent to HM Coroner Mr Nigel Meadows, I note that the examples given showed that even small amounts of helium can be sufficient to cause death, rendering controls on availability ineffective. This has led to a number of options to address the issues you raise being considered and discarded.”

Source location
2015-0112-Response-by-Department-of-Health
Page 1 · response
Published 20 March 2015
Open published response
9 Jul2014
Birmingham and Solihull
Concerns raised3
1. Failure to fit helium canisters with a control valve restricting gas release
2. Sale of helium gas canisters containing a sizable volume of helium
3. Unrestricted sale of helium gas canisters to the general public
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response

Department of Health and Social Care
Respondent positions 1
1. Department of Health and Social Care
  The earlier departmental response remains pertinent and is considered to fully address the concerns regarding helium gas and suicide.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
AI-generated summary

David Reginald Giles · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

David Reginald Giles was discovered at home on 31 March 2014 with a plastic bag over his head connected to a helium gas canister, and paramedics confirmed his death that morning. The concerns included the unrestricted availability and standard size of helium canisters, the absence of modified control valves, and readily accessible online information about suicide by helium inhalation. The report also noted an increase in deaths mentioning helium in England between 2008 and 2012.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to fit helium canisters with a control valve restricting gas release
Wider context from the report
“(3) Helium canisters are not fitted with any modified control valve which if in place could restrict the volume of gas being released and are generally sold in standard sizes. ”
Source location
David Reginald Giles · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Sale of helium gas canisters containing a sizable volume of helium
Wider context from the report
“(2) Helium gas canisters appear to be sold in a standard size which contains a sizable volume of Helium. ”
Source location
David Reginald Giles · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Unrestricted sale of helium gas canisters to the general public
Wider context from the report
“(1) The sale of Helium gas canisters is readily available to members of the general public with no apparent restrictions or conditions on sale or place. ”
Source location
David Reginald Giles · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
The earlier departmental response remains pertinent and is considered to fully address the concerns regarding helium gas and suicide.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The information we provided in our response to the Matthew Satterthwaite Regulation 28 report is still pertinent. I have therefore enclosed a copy of our earlier reply to the Manchester Coroner, Nigel Meadows, and trust that this fully addresses the concerns you raise in your Regulation 28 report regarding the death of David Giles.”

Source location
2014-0321-Response-by-Department-of-Health
Page 2 · response
Published 9 July 2014
Open published response
20 Nov2013
West Yorkshire (Western)
Concerns raised3
1. Failure to fit Helium canisters with modified control valves restricting gas release
2. Unrestricted sale of Helium canisters to the general public
3. Sale of Helium canisters containing a sizable volume of Helium
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
AI-generated summary

LUKE JACOB GOODWIN · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Luke Goodwin, a 21-year-old university student, was found dead at home on 18 January 2013 after inhaling helium using a plastic bag, tubing and a helium canister. The report raised concerns about the ready availability and design of helium canisters, and about clear, detailed online information and links facilitating suicide methods and purchases.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to fit Helium canisters with modified control valves restricting gas release
Wider context from the report
“(3) Helium canisters are not fitted with any modified control valve which if in place could restrict the volume of gas being released. ”
Source location
LUKE JACOB GOODWIN · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Unrestricted sale of Helium canisters to the general public
Wider context from the report
“(1) The sale of Helium canisters is readily available to members of the general public. There appears to be no restrictions or conditions on sale or place. ”
Source location
LUKE JACOB GOODWIN · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Sale of Helium canisters containing a sizable volume of Helium
Wider context from the report
“(2) Helium canisters appear to be sold in a standard size which contains a sizable volume of Helium. ”
Source location
LUKE JACOB GOODWIN · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

Data last updated 7 September 2026

What this concern includes

Trends

Reports mentioning this concern, over time

Concerns raised3

Large-volume helium canisters

Failure to attach modified control valves restricting helium gas release volume

Lack of controls on individual helium canister purchase quantities

Linked response

Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1

Concerns raised3

Failure to fit helium canisters with a control valve restricting gas release

Sale of helium gas canisters containing a sizable volume of helium

Unrestricted sale of helium gas canisters to the general public

Linked response

Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1

Concerns raised3

Failure to fit Helium canisters with modified control valves restricting gas release

Unrestricted sale of Helium canisters to the general public

Sale of Helium canisters containing a sizable volume of Helium

Respondent positions 1

Respondent positions 1