Part of an ongoing series dedicated to raising health and safety awareness across the Temple community.
Portable electric and fuel-fired heaters have grown in popularity over the past two decades; however, this has come at a great cost. Misuse and malfunctions of portable heaters now account for one-fifth of all structural fires, and more than 30,000 people are injured and killed each year in the United States from portable-heater-related fires.
Most safety professionals and fire officials recommend that you simply not use portable heaters in homes and offices. However, since they are found in many buildings and require strict attention to prevent mishaps, here are some pointers to avoid having a heater-caused fire.
1. Unvented fuel fired heaters, such as kerosene heaters, are prohibited at Temple. Additionally, Temple University Hospital prohibits all portable space heating devices in healthcare occupancies, with the exception of hospital-supplied heaters in non-sleeping staff and employee areas. (Hospital department directors can order these heaters through the Purchasing Department.)
2. Make sure that your heater hasn’t been the subject of a safety recall. Many are recalled each year. Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html.
3. Heaters can easily ignite paper, cloth and other lightweight material. The Philadelphia Fire Department says to keep heaters at least 3 feet away on all sides from anything that can burn — including furniture, walls and trashcans. Every heater has a minimum clearance distance to combustible material that must be strictly adhered to; refer to your operator’s manual for exact requirements. Heaters that are too close to heavier material, such as wood, carpet and plastic, can slowly reduce their ignition points until a fire occurs after days or even weeks of heater use.
4. One common location for smaller electric heaters is under desks — a potentially hazardous place for them. It is difficult to maintain the proper 3-foot clearances. Paper and other highly combustible material can accidentally fall or be kicked into the clearance area around the heater. Also, many of these heaters are not approved for use on carpet.
5. Do not use extension cords with electric heaters. This greatly compounds the risk of fire!
6. Even one portable electric heater will load a typical office electrical circuit to near capacity. If other electric devices are on the circuit, it can easily overload it. Check for circuit breakers that feel warm. If they do, there is a serious risk of an electrical wiring fire. A qualified electrician should be consulted to verify that a circuit can handle an electric heater.
7. Use only heaters with “tip-over protection” that shut off automatically when tilted. Unplug or shut off at night and when not in use — even when you’re just leaving the room for a while.
—This article is reprinted in large part from the Maine Municipal Association, Risk Management Services, Loss Control Department, as part of an ongoing series of health and safety articles aiming to raise awareness among Temple University employees, faculty and students about a range of health and safety issues. This is an initiative developed by Temple’s Health and Safety Awareness Committee, comprising members from across the university community. For further information on fire safety, please contact the Fire Marshal at 215-204-7938. If you have other health and safety questions, suggestions or concerns, please e-mail the Health & Safety Committee at safetyawareness@temple.edu.