Educate Your Residents about Space Heater Safety before It’s Too Late

每年在美国消防部门争取空间加热器的滥用或错位造成的住宅。这些装置很适合加热寒冷的房间，似乎永远不会保持温暖。麻烦是，居民经常无法阅读这些小工具上的警告。人们还仍在使用可能不符合当今标准的空间加热器。消费产品安全委员会（CPSC）估计，固定和便携式加热器两年都与21,800次住宅火灾联系起来，大约300人死于这些加热器的火灾中。许多人没有意识到沉默的杀手，CO中毒是一种燃料燃烧空间加热器的威胁。

The CPSC has put together list of safety tips to help consumers purchase the right space heater, and to use that space heater safely. They're worth a look, and they're worth distributing to the residents in your calling area:

1.在火焰区域或加热元件周围选择带防护装置的空间加热器。将加热器放在水平，硬和不易燃的表面上，而不是地毯或地毯或卧具或窗帘附近。将加热器距离床上用品，窗帘，家具或其他易燃材料至少三英尺。选择已通过国家公认的测试实验室测试和认证的空间加热器。这些加热器符合特定的安全标准。如果您使用不经过燃料燃烧的空间加热器，请将门打开到房屋的其余部分。这有助于防止污染物积聚并促进适当的燃烧。遵循制造商的说明以提供足够的燃烧空气来防止CO生产。当你入睡时，永远不要留下空间加热器。切勿将空间加热器靠近任何睡眠。 5. Turn the space heater off if you leave the area. Keep children and pets away from space heaters. 6. Have a smoke detector with fresh batteries on each level of the house and a carbon monoxide detector outside your sleeping area. 7. Be aware that mobile homes require specially designed heating equipment. Only electric or vented fuel-fired heaters should be used. 8. Have gas and kerosene space heaters inspected annually.Consumers who would like more information can view (also in pdf) or receive a free CPSC booklet, "What You Should Know about Space Heaters," by placing a request at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/hard.html or by sending a postcard to: "Space Heater Booklet," U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.Underwriters Laboratories (UL) recently announced that it has launched a new Gas-Fired Listing Mark. The mark demonstrates to consumers, distributors, and regulatory authorities that gas-fired products bearing the mark are certified for safety and comply with nationally recognized standards for both gas and electrical safety.The mark is applied to products including water heaters, furnaces, clothes dryers, cooking appliances, barbecue grills, gaslights, commercial food service equipment, boilers, gas fireplaces, and space heaters.The critical factor here is that residents follow the manufacturer's recommendations after they purchase the heater. No number of product certifications can prevent a fire caused by the misuse of the product. That is where fire safety education comes in, and that is where you play an integral role.