Stove Data Proposal
With the number of hospital emergency room-treated burn injuries from misuse of wood burning stoves on the rise (from about 600 in 1974 to an estimated 4700 in 1979), the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently proposed a rule requiring that certain performance and technical data be supplied with stoves, freestanding fireplaces, and other similar appliances.
The data would include safety information concerning the installation, operation, and maintenance of the stoves. Part of the data would be applied permanently to the device, while complete instruction would be provided with the literature that accompanies the product upon purchasing.
Required data would include: appropriate chimney and connector for a particular appliance, type and dimension of floor protection, time intervals between chimney inspection, the name of a local office where questions regarding the fire safety of the appliance can be directed, and the name and address of the manufacturer.
The notification rule for these appliances is proposed to go into effect on May 31,1981, to all products first introduced in United States commerce after that date.
Estimates by the National Fire Protection Association indicate that there are about 8000-9000 fires from wood or coal stoves nationally, resulting in approximately 130 deaths, with the major cause of fires being improper installation.
