The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced that as of January 1, 2015, protective barriers are to be required for all new ethanol fireplace and fireplace heaters that vent outside of the home. Retrofit barriers, such as an attachable safety screen, are recommended for pre-existing gas fireplaces and fireplace heaters.
This new requirement is designed to help protect children and others from coming into direct contact with the glass front of a fireplace. According to the CPSC, the glass front of a fireplace can reach between 500 and 1,000 degrees F while the fireplace is on. This level of heat can cause a severe burn should anyone touch the glass, noted the CPSC.
The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) chaired the voluntary standards committee that developed the new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) industry standard. Dr. Carol Pollack-Nelson, who petitioned the CPSC in an effort to address gas fireplace-related burns to children, initiated the movement. The CPSC also had support from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which shared information in regards to documented burn injuries that children have experienced by touching hot fireplace glass.
