April 24, 2013
CPSC Denies Fireplace Glass Front Petition
Commissioners Defer to Fireplace Industry’s New Standard and Public Education Effort
Arlington, VA (April 24, 2013) – On Tuesday, April 23rd, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 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 January 1, 2015; however, many manufacturers are already testing barriers to the new standard. The CPSC staff in its recommendation to deny specifically cited the work of HPBA’s education outreach and new safety video.
“We are very pleased that the CPSC commissioners recognized both the enormous effort the industry made to expedite a new safety standard for glass-fronted fireplaces and our public education program,” said Jack Goldman, President & CEO of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), the fireplace industry’s trade organization. “The new standard and public education campaign will help protect homeowners, and especially children, from accidental burns by touching the glass.”
HPBA’s public education effort included a radio media tour and a new safety website, www.safefireplacetips.com, with downloadable information and a video demonstrating the options available to homeowners that 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.