Comment from Nancy Cowles

I am writing on behalf of Kids In Danger, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children by improving product safety. I am writing to support the Petition from Carol Pollack Nelson -- Requesting Safeguards for Glass Fronts of Gas Vented Fireplaces (Document ID CPSC-2011-0028-0001). As Dr. Pollack-Nelson pointed out in her petition, thousands of children have been injured by hot glass fronts of gas vented fireplaces. This is a hazard that is not evident to the user –the fire is out and no longer hot, it isn’t intuitive that the glass front would still be hot enough to burn a child. In addition, because the injuries involve young children, a warning, or warnings symbol, is not adequate since the possible injury victim probably doesn’t read or understand even basic warning symbols. A warning symbol might alert parents to the hazard, but to a quick moving toddler who can easily enter a room and get burned before the supervising adult gets close enough to stop them, the warnings would not be sufficient and may even lure the child to the fireplace. We support Dr. Pollack-Nelson’s call for an integrated barrier to the heated glass to protect children. We would also support additional warnings, even with a shield.