{"347061":{"#nid":"347061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Be Smart about Space Heater Safety","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs fall weather takes hold, many reach for space heaters for a bit of extra warmth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut, according to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters account for one-third of home heating fires and four out of five home heating deaths. So, it\u2019s important to keep safety top of mind. That\u2019s why Georgia Tech\u2019s Fire Safety Office has provided guidelines for selecting space heaters and for their safe placement and usage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA space heater should:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBe made of ceramic-type material.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHave an individual, built-in thermostat.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAutomatically shut off if the airflow becomes blocked.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShut off automatically if the heater tips over.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBe approved by a testing laboratory, such as UL.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso, when using a space heater, follow these guidelines:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPlace the heater on a flat, level surface.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAvoid using the heater in wet or moist areas such as bathrooms unless specified for that purpose.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPlug the heater directly into a wall receptacle without using an extension cord.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnsure the cord fits snugly into the socket, and unplug it if it feels hot near the outlet.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKeep a minimum distance of 3 feet between all sides of the heater and combustible materials such as furniture, paper, boxes, trashcans, clothes, and fabric-covered furniture.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaintain airflow behind and around the unit.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETurn off the heater each time you leave the office.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Fire Safety Office also provides on-site space heater inspections on a building-by-building basis. To have your space heater inspected or to arrange a building\/group inspection, email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:fire@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Efire@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E, or call 404-894-FIRE (3473).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs fall weather takes hold, Georgia Tech\u2019s Fire Safety Office provides guidelines for selecting space heaters and for their safe placement and usage.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As fall weather takes hold, Georgia Tech\u2019s Fire Safety Office provides guidelines for selecting space heaters and for their safe placement and usage."}],"uid":"27713","created_gmt":"2014-11-18 16:02:16","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:34","author":"Victor Rogers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-12-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-12-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ehs.gatech.edu\/fire\/","title":"Fire Safety at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1983","name":"Fire Safety"},{"id":"110261","name":"Fire Safety Office"},{"id":"171390","name":"space heater"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVictor Rogers\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6398\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}