CPSC Seeks Comments on Petition for Gas Fireplace Glass Guards
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is seeking comments by August 8, 2011 on a petition asking the CPSC to impose regulatory safeguards for the glass fronts of gas vented fireplaces.
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Says Glass Fronts Can Reach Temperatures of 500° F, Are Accessible to Children
The petitioner1 notes that the industry standard for gas vented fireplace heaters allows glass fronts to reach temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and that these glass fronts are accessible to children. The petitioner claims that, according to the CPSC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database (NEISS), more than 2,000 children ages 0--5 years suffered burn injuries on gas fireplaces in the period between 1999 and March 2009.
Believes Hazard Due to Accessible Location, Lack of Consumer Awareness, Etc.
The petitioner believes the hazard posed by gas fireplaces is due to a combination of factors, “including the high surface temperature of the fireplace glass, the accessible location of the glass front, the attractiveness of fire to young children, and the lack of consumer awareness of the hazard.”
Asks CPSC to Develop Mandatory Standard that Requires Protective Barrier
The petitioner states that passive interventions, such as an “integral safety screen,” are needed to protect children. The petitioner asks CPSC to develop a mandatory standard for gas fireplaces that requires a protective barrier, guard or other device for any accessible surface that, if contacted, is hot enough to cause severe burns.
Subsequent to the receipt of this petition, CPSC received a submission requesting that CPSC require a “high temperature warning system,” which would “project a clear high temperature alert onto the glass front of the fireplace that would remain visible from the time the fireplace is lit until the glass is cool enough to touch safely.”
1Carol Pollack-Nelson, Ph.D
CPSC Contact -- Rockelle Hammond (301) 504-6833
(D/N CPSC-2011-0028, FR Pub 06/08/11)