When consumers go to the store to buy a gas grill this Memorial Day weekend, that grill will be safer thanks to new voluntary safety standards championed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). These safety features protect grills against gas leaks, explosions and fires.
LP (liquid petroleum) gas or propane that is used in gas grills is highly flammable. Each year, about 40 people are injured in LP fires and explosions associated with gas grills. Many of these fires and explosions occur when consumers first use a grill that has been left idle for a period of time or just after refilling and reattaching the grill's gas container.
In 1995, CPSC requested that the voluntary standard for gas grills be revised to eliminate leak hazards. In response to this request, three additional safety features were required: a device to limit the flow of gas in the event of hose rupture; a mechanism to shut-off the grill; and a feature to prevent the flow of gas if the connection between the tank and the grill is not leak proof. The voluntary standard requires these safety features on grills manufactured after October 1, 1995.
"This holiday weekend is the traditional beginning of the grilling season," said commission chairman Ann Brown. "We want to prevent deaths and injuries, and keep families safe. That's why we pushed for these new standards. Now families can barbecue and grill the Memorial Day weekend -- and throughout the summer -- with greater safety."
For more information on gas grill safety, consumers should send a postcard with their name and address to "Gas Grills Fact Sheet (#467)," CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20017.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
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