How to Improve Stove Safety and Prevent Accidents

The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) claims that one in three fires in the country are caused by stoves or ovens, making them the most common cause of household fires. In Finland every year, fire brigades put out nearly 1,000 fires caused by electric stoves. In most cases, these fires are related to cooking and the root cause is almost always negligence or misuse of the stove.

Fires Caused By Stoves Are Lethal
In 2016, 16 people in Finland died in electric fires and the majority of those fires were caused by stoves. More careful use of the stove, better kitchen planning and a number of technical solutions are all ways that could help prevent these tragic accidents.

The most problematic stoves are those of traditional design with a cast-iron plate that gets very hot but is slow to cool. Most models are not equipped with timers, and their dials can often be turned on accidentally.

What’s Safer?
Induction stoves are a safer alternative to traditional stoves, since most have electronic controls and the plates cannot be turned on by accident. In addition, an induction plate will not switch on unless cookware is placed on it. However, it is still important for product designers and manufacturers to ensure that the dials are safe, and the device has a timer or other safety feature, such as a guard.

The Advantages of a Stove Guard
Stove guards provide an effective way to protect consumers and their property from overheating stoves. Even the most basic models cut off power if the temperature gets too high or rises too quickly, while more advanced models will put out a fire using an extinguishing liquid.

Stove guards include a temperature sensor installed above the stove that can alert a power management unit and cut off the power if the temperature rises too high or too fast. If the model is designed to extinguish a fire, an extinguishing liquid tank is also installed above an extractor hood.

Standard EN 50615:2015 introduces three types of stove guard:
• Type A: emits a loud fire alarm when a fire starts, cuts off power, activates an extinguisher within 30 seconds of ignition, and puts out the fire within 15 seconds
• Type B: cuts off power before a fire starts and emits an audible alarm that continues until it is switched off or the temperature drops
• Type AB: cuts off power before a fire starts. However, if a fire starts, it will be extinguished

What do the Insurance Companies Say?
In Finland, insurance companies recommend that all stoves are equipped with stove guards. Indeed, to celebrate its 150th anniversary, one leading insurer gifted a stove guard to all of its home insurance customers.

In Norway, all new and renovated homes must be equipped with stove guards that cut off power if the stove temperature rises too much. In the UK, people belonging to risk groups receive a stove alarm for free.

For more information on SGS home appliance safety services, visit SGS's Electrical and Electronics website or contact:

Seppo Lautamies
Project Manager
SGS Consumer Testing, Finland
t: +358 9 6963244

Email: cts.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/ee

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 90,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,000 offices and laboratories around the world.

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This release was published on openPR.