New South Wales Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe today re-issued a warning on dangerous gas cabinet heaters and encouraged consumers to watch a new YouTube video on the dangers of the unapproved products.
A home in Port Macquarie was destroyed this week by a fire caused by one of these heaters bought off an online auction site. Three people were transported to hospital with smoke inhalation.
The video can be found on the Fair Trading You Tube channel at youtube.com/NSWOFT
Dangerous, unapproved gas cabinet heaters have been the subject of repeated warnings from Fair Trading and a number of the heaters have recently been detected for sale in Sydney shops and at Penrith markets as well as on an online auction site. Fair Trading has raided shops and markets and requested one online auction site to remove the dangerous heaters.
The Commissioner said he was concerned about lives being lost this winter.
“I hold grave fears for anyone using the heaters, which were banned by Fair Trading in 2010,” Mr Stowe said.
“People should not use these heaters. In July last year, one of these heaters caused a major fire that destroyed a home in East Gosford and it could easily have claimed the life of the occupant.
“The heater was one of three purchased from a trader at a large Sydney market. NSW Fire and Rescue advised Fair Trading the gas hose and fitting appeared to have malfunctioned.”
Commissioner Stowe said the heaters were renowned for the malfunction and he said anyone in NSW or anywhere else in the country who had bought one needed to stop using it and take it back for a refund.
“If you have one of these call Fair Trading on 13 32 20 in NSW or in your state or territory,” he said. “Anywhere in Australia, if you are still using this heater, stop using it and alert authorities.”
Fair Trading is monitoring websites, markets and shops as part of its ongoing investigation as well as following up supply chains.
Dangerous gas cabinet heater Dangerous gas cabinet heater
For information about gas safety go to the Fair Trading website.
For information about home fire safety go to: http://www.fire.nsw.gov.au and www.homefiresafetyaudit.com
Follow Fair Trading on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/FairTradingNSW and Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NSW_FairTrading
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