Child Safety with Glass Fireplace Doors...YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Child Safety with GLASS FIREPLACE DOORS

When it comes to children and a fireplace in your home...SAFETY needs to be on the top of your

PRIORITY list!

Many homes today have a gas flame fireplace. In the early years, gas fireplace flames were protected by some sort of metal screen. More recently, these fireplaces have been enclosed by glass doors.

Fireplaces with glass doors are becoming a source of serious burn injuries to infants and small children.

In a recently published study by Desiree Jimenez and Angela Montgomery of The Children’s Hospital in Denver, it was reported that 82 children were diagnoised with moderate to severe hand burn injuries caused by fireplace glass doors. Five of these kids required skin grafting.

Typical hand burns range from a partial thickness to full thickness in depth. The treatment of hand burn injuries to children is painful and time intensive. Permanent disability often results from contractures leading to a loss in the functional range of hand movement.

Testing shows that the glass doors on a fireplace can heat to 400° in six minutes and take 45 minutes to completely cool. Most of the burn victims are less than two years old and just learning to walk. They are unsure on their feet and some serious injuries result from falling against the red hot glass.

Toddlers are so curious, especially about fire and are drawn to the doors enclosing the object of their curiosity. Their “touchy feely” instincts lead them to place their little hands on the hot glass.

Parents should consider replacing a glass door fireplace with doors made out of tempered glass. Tempered glass doors do not store heat as efficiently and are much safer for children.

If you choose not to replace the dangerous fireplace, then PLEASE wait until the kids have gone to bed before turning the fireplace on. Also, put a full protective fireplace screen around the fireplace in order to prevent children from being able to reach the glass doors.

Just use your head when it comes to your children and your fireplace...remember SAFETY COMES FIRST!