Panel heaters dangerous if not used carefully

Press, 16 July 1986, Page 29

Panel heaters dangerous if not used carefully

Panel heaters are very successful for background heating in the home but people should be aware that, if used carelessly, they can be dangerous. They can be exceedingly hot without showing it, and are attractive to youngsters, especially those at the crawling age often looking for objects of support on which to pull themselves up off the floor.

These heaters can inflict permanent disfiguring injury and they can result in disastrous fire if not properly positioned. If not correctly wired they can cause fatality. These dangers can, however, be reduced. Provide for maximum safety, especially for children, where location is concerned. Wall-mounted panel

heaters can be placed out of children's reach. The Consumers’ Institute observed that floor-mounted types, besides their greater potential danger to children, can snag carpets and produce rust Careful location of wallmounted and especially floor-type heaters is essential to avoid setting curtains or other furnishings alight

Panel heaters of the “fin" design, as most are, reduce the chance of toys, paper and the like being pushed in by children and causing a fire disaster. When buying a panel heater, look for the Standards mark. This mark is only granted to manufacturers who can support their application to the Standards Association of New Zealand with an independent test report

from an approved laboratory. All panel heaters should have good earthing arrangements, but also ensure that there is good . earthing for any thermostat that may be fitted separately. Any form of extra guard is better than none where a panel heater (or any heater) has to be within children’s reach. An extra wire guard could be well worth the expense for child protection. There is no substitute for continual child education and supervision, the best possible precaution against all hazards. The need to educate and su- rpervise is even more important with the older panel heaters that lack the design improvements added by manufacturers over the years.

Panel heaters, which can be reached by children or touched inadvertently by older people, can burn. Skin contact for even one second with a surface temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Celsius can inflict second degree burn. Children are especially vulnerable. Those under five years represent about a tenth of the population, but account for nearly half the patients treated for burns of all kinds in New Zealand. All information prepared by the Accident Compensation Commission.