Commission Proposes New Safety Standard To Reduce Deaths From Unvented Gas Heaters

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today proposed a safety standard for unvented gas- fired space heaters. If approved, the standard is expected to reduce the number of deaths, now about 70 a year, due to carbon monoxide poisoning involved with these heaters.

Like other gas-burning appliances, unvented gas space heaters can produce toxic combustion wastes. Because they are not vented to the out-of-doors, unvented gas-fired space heaters emit these wastes directly into living areas. Insufficient ventilation or an improperly functioning heater may allow one of the combustion wastes, carbon monoxide, to rise to hazardous levels.

The proposed standard would require unvented gas space heaters to be equipped with a device to measure the oxygen level in the area where the heater is being used. The device (known as an oxygen- depletion sensor, or ODS) will automatically shut off the gas supply to the heater before carbon monoxide can build up to a life- threatening level. The ODS never has been used on American heaters. However, a similar device has been used successfully in Europe for many years, and American manufacturers are now actively working to develop an ODS suitable for American heaters.

Unvented gas space heaters, fueled by natural or bottled propane or butane gas, are used widely in the South and Southwest where the mild climate may make central heating uneconomical. Less expensive to buy and operate than vented heaters, the unvented gas space heaters are particularly popular with low-income and elderly consumers.

Publication of the proposed rule in today's Federal Register opens a 60-day period to gather comments from consumers, industry, government officials, and technical organizations. The Commission will also hold a public hearing during this time, before deciding whether to issue this proposed standard as a final rule. Individuals who want to testify or comment on the proposed safety standard should write or call the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207; telephone (202) 634-7700.

If the Commission approves the proposal after the comment period, all unvented gas space heaters-manufactured on or after the proposed effective date of December 31, 1980, will incorporate the ODS. The heaters also would bear permanent safety warnings alerting consumers to the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The standard, however, will not affect the estimated 7.6 million unvented gas space heaters now in use. Consumers already using these heaters should heed the following safety rules:

-- Never use an unvented gas heater without first opening a window or otherwise providing fresh air.

-- Have your heater serviced regularly to keep the burner and control compartment clean.

-- Be particularly careful about using unvented gas heaters in sleeping quarters. Most carbon monoxide deaths involving these heaters occur while the victim sleeps. Adequate ventilation and maintenance are musts.

-- Remember that the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning resemble the flu, with headache, dizziness, or nausea. If you have these symptoms while using a heater, turn it off and breathe some fresh air.

-- If you are pregnant or have anemia or heart or lung disease, you are particularly vulnerable to carbon monoxide. People who have been drinking or those who reside at high altitudes also must be particularly alert for the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.