SPACE HEATERS SAID TO BE FIRE HAZARD

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28748, 20 November 1958, Page 7

SPACE HEATERS SAID TO BE FIRE HAZARD

Solid fuel-burning space heaters are a great boon in a Christchurch winter, but they are a definite and important fire hazard unless great care is taken with their installation. This was the conclusion reached at a meeting called by the North Canterbury Master Bricklayers’ Association last evening, to discuss fire hazards in building construction. Representatives of many interested organisations attended the meeting. They included two city councillors, representatives of the Bricklayers’ Union, and the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. building inspectors of the Christchurch City Council and the State Advances Corporation, the Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) and the City Council construction engineer (Mr G. Chapman). The chairman was the president of the Master Bricklayers’ Association (Mr D. L. Anderson). His association was concerned with the poor quality of work in the installation of many fireplaces and space-heaters, said Mr Anderson. Prefabricated concrete pumice chimneys in particular were a source of menace, he said. "The work of bricklayers has to be taken a great deal on trust," said Mr Anderson. "Inspectors, builders and employers cannot stand over every bricklayer when he is working. I think we want more inspectors on the job. checking the work.” Pumice Chimneys "The thing that has me worried as far as the public is concerned is the pre-cast pumice chimney." said Mr G. T. Kay, a representative of the association. He had carried out repairs for the State Advances Corporation for a number of years, and the trouble had been in most cases due to chimneys of this sort cracking in the first one or two sections. “I feel these chimneys are a distinct fire hazard," said Mr Kay. “I have had numerous examples of trouble in them.’’ “They should have been condemned years ago,” said Mr J. E. Jones, secretary of the Bricklayers’ Union. The problem also occurred with space-heaters, however. The two main problems here were the “do it yourself’’ attitude, where an unqualified man installed heaters of this

sort, and the shortage of buildi ing supervisors. ’ "The man who is installing ! space-heaters should know [exactly what he is doing, the risk is so great," said Mr Jones. "The only fault I can find with the | present by-law is that it is not ! adhered to. There is a certain i type of tradesman creeping in ’ that is undesirable. The only I solution is to send them down the road.” Cr. W. P. Glue, representing the City Council, said that the council was very concerned that it did not have any adequate bylaw to cover the installation of space-heaters. The Standards Institute was formulating rules for their installation, but unless information was received from them soon the council would go ahead on its own and bring in suitable by-laws. “We will have to do something soon," said Cr. Glue. “Some of the space-heating I have seen is absolutely deplorable these pumice Hues going through the roof are dangerous." "Start with Builder’* "1 have got a pretty good team of building inspectors, but they can’t be on the exact spot all the time,” said Mr Chapman. "We are putting the cart before the horse if our inspectors go round telling builders to alter or pull down a chimney—the improvement should start with the builder, who must adequately supervise construction." "I do not know of any fire that has started as a result of a precast pumice concrete chimney,” said Mr Osmond. “A crack in the back of any chimney could cause a fire hazard. The meeting decided that the bodies concerned would offer suggestions to the City Council for new by-laws to control the installation of space-heaters.