Where Requirements
for the AFCI Began
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
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Washington, DC 20207
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Safety Commission Picks Home Electrical System Fires As 1995 Priority
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today voted unanimously
to select "Home Electrical System Fires" as the priority project for fiscal year (FY)
1995, which begins on October 1, 1994. This is the second year CPSC selected this project
to address electrical fires in older homes. The Commission estimates that in 1990 there
were 42,000 fires involving home electrical wiring, resulting in 340 deaths, 1,370 injuries,
and $569 million in property losses. The total annual cost to society was approximately
$1.3 billion.
The Commission is particularly concerned about electrical fires in older homes because
data show a disproportionately high frequency of electrical-system fires in homes more
than 40 years old. Many of these fires occur in homes of consumers who are in the lower
socio-economic bracket. About one-third of homes in the U.S. are more than 40 years old.
While some of these homes are unoccupied, nearly 29 million of these older residences
are occupied by families or individuals. The Home Electrical System Fires project seeks
to reduce the number of electrical fires by encouraging the development of a model electrical
reinspection code for existing homes. One of the key aspects of the project is finding
ways to upgrade the wiring at reasonable cost. CPSC plans to work with code organizations,
electrical inspectors, and fire safety experts to promote the electrical reinspection
code and to recommend ways to rehabilitate old electrical wiring.
CPSC selects its priority projects according to factors recommended by Congressional committees
and several criteria established by Commission regulations. By Commission procedures,
priority projects must be identified before the remainder of the agency's FY 1995 budget
can be developed. The Commission's seven criteria for priority projects are: frequency
and severity of injuries; causality of injuries; likelihood of future injuries or chronic
illness; cost and benefit of CPSC action; unforeseen nature of the risk; vulnerability
of the population at risk; and probability of exposure to the hazard. In addition, Congressional
committees recommend that the Commission limit the number of priority projects and choose
only projects that have specific objectives and schedules.
The CPSC selected this priority project as part of its mission to protect the public from
unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's
objective is to reduce the estimated 28.6 million injuries and 21,700 deaths associated
each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products within CPSC's jurisdiction.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the
public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products
under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury,
call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit
CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and
recall information at CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov.
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs |
Washington, DC 20207 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Kate Premo |
May 22, 1996 |
(301) 504-0580 Ext. 1187 |
Release # 96-129
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CPSC Launches Program to Prevent Home Electrical Wiring System Fires
WASHINGTON, D.C. - To help home owners prevent fires from electrical wiring systems, the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is promoting guidelines that help pinpoint
fire hazards in older homes -- the most vulnerable to electrical wiring fires. CPSC is
also rewiring four older homes in different parts of the country to test low-cost ways
of making old electrical systems safer.
National fire statistics show that more than 40,000 fires are caused each year by problems
with home electrical wiring. For the past 10 years, electrical wiring systems have been
the leading cause of fire deaths involving electrical equipment, claiming an average of
nearly 350 lives each year. These deaths and fires cost society over $2 billion annually.
"As the federal agency that helps keep people safe in and around their homes, CPSC is
finding common sense, affordable solutions to home-wiring hazards," CPSC Chairman Ann
Brown said. "This project provides consumers information on the best, least expensive
methods of doing something about them."
In an effort to reduce the number of home electrical wiring system fires and save lives,
CPSC has identified common home electrical wiring system hazards:
- Many people are not aware that wiring system components can wear out over time, presenting
a fire hazard.
- The wiring systems in many older homes can have difficulty handling the increasing
demands being placed on them by modern appliances like microwave ovens, toaster ovens,
hair dryers, electric heaters, and others.
- When electrical components age or are overloaded, the system can overheat and wear
out insulation. This can lead to arcs and short circuits, which are the main causes
of home electrical wiring fires.
To demonstrate low-cost solutions to these hazards, CPSC is rewiring homes in Capitol Heights,
Md., Atlanta, Ga., Redlands, Calif., and St. Louis, Mo.
One of the greatest obstacles to determining whether older homes are safe is the lack
of a current, widely accepted code against which the safety of older electrical wiring
systems can be judged. CPSC's Home Electrical System Fires Project could help communities
prevent fires and improve safety by raising their awareness of a new electrical code,
which was developed by the National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA). The code describes
approximately 50 dangerous residential wiring conditions which can be identified by a
visual inspection by a qualified inspector.
CPSC's Home Electrical System Fires Project involves a broad coalition of public and private
organizations, including fire prevention officials, the insurance industry, and the National
Electrical Safety Foundations, which will identify solutions to the home wiring problems
that contribute to electrical fires.
For more information on CPSC's Home Electrical System Fires Project and free brochures
on home wiring hazards, consumers should send a postcard to: Home Wiring Safety, CPSC,
Washington, D.C. 20207.
For a fee, the NFPA electrical code can be obtained by calling NFPA at (800) 344-3555.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the
public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products
under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury,
call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit
CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and
recall information at CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov.
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs |
Washington, DC 20207 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Nychelle White |
September 26, 1996 |
(301) 504-0580 Ext. 1192 |
Release # 96-193
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CPSC Offers Free "Home Electrical Safety Kit" to Help Reduce Fires
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is offering community
groups CPSC's "Home Electrical Safety Kit" free-of-charge to help prevent fires in the
home caused by faulty electrical wiring.
The kits include CPSC's new "Wired for Safety" video, featuring information on fire prevention,
interviews with fire victims, a fire chief, and an electrical expert, and dramatic footage
of home fires. The kits also give general information on CPSC's Home Electrical System
Fires Project, "CPSC's Guide to Home Wiring Hazards," and includes a list of potential
partners for community education projects.
For the past 10 years, faulty electrical wiring systems have been the leading cause of
fire deaths involving electrical equipment, claiming an average of nearly 400 lives each
year.
These deaths and fires cost society $2.2 billion annually. "We hope community groups,
professionals, and local officials will use the Home Electrical Safety Kit as part of
their fire prevention activities," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "Together, our efforts
could help prevent home wiring fires and save lives."
Groups can obtain free Home Electrical Safety Kits by sending the group's name and address
to "Home Electrical Safety Kit," CPSC, Public Affairs Office, Washington, DC 20207.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the
public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products
under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury,
call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit
CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and
recall information at CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov.
Mike Holt's
Comment: I understand
that Mass and Virginia has or is going to adopt the 2002 NEC without the AFCI requirement.
Does anybody know if this is true?
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