CPSC Denies Fireplace Glass Front Petition
WASHINGTON, D.C.
From Jack Goldman, President & CEO
of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association
On Tuesday, April 23, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) commissioners voted unanimously (3-0) to deny a petition it received on May 23, 2011 requesting the initiation of a Commission rulemaking to require safeguards on the glass fronts of vented gas fireplaces.
The Commission denied the petition based upon the fireplace industry's newly revised standard requiring a barrier on all glass-fronted fireplaces, stoves and inserts in which the glass temperature exceeds 172 degrees F. The new standard goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, however, many manufacturers are already testing barriers to the new standard.
The revised CSA standard was approved by the CSA Z21/83 Committee on July 17, 2012 and sent to both ANSI and the Interprovincial Gas Advisory Council (IGAC) for their approval. Those approvals were made in late 2012 and the standards have now been published. The standard now requires that the barrier must pass a test with an instrument called a thermesthesiometer which measures the burn potential of skin touching the barrier. The standard also requires that the barrier be attached and not easily removable.
We are very pleased that the CPSC commissioners recognized the enormous effort the industry made to expedite the new safety standard and to develop a public education program. HPBA's public education effort included a radio media tour and a new safety website, with downloadable information and a video demonstrating the options available to homeowners who already have a glass-fronted fireplace in their homes. HPBA continues its campaign in reaching out to child safety and medical organizations with the safety message.
This extremely positive outcome is a result of many face-to-face meetings with member company representatives within a short two-year time frame and thousands of hours of work by company engineers and executives working within the proper channels of the CSA.
