Keeping warm and safe this winter
Keep warm but keep safe this winter. That’s the message being sent out nationwide to households using LPG cabinet heaters this winter.
The LPG Association of New Zealand, together with ERMA New Zealand and the Ministry of Economic Development's Energy Safety unit, have a short, sharp message about staying safe with cabinet heaters.
The five key messages are:
- Test your connections – check for leaks after connecting a cylinder.
- Keep your heater at least a metre away from anything flammable.
- Keep a window ajar to help remove emissions and reduce condensation.
- Use your nose – if you smell LPG, turn off your heater immediately and seek assistance.
- Get your heater and cylinder checked before winter.
These messages are being delivered in a message-at-a-glance fashion by an appealing cartoon character who features on posters and leaflets.
LPG Association Executive Director Peter Gilbert says that, from this month, about 380,000 leaflets will be distributed in an effort to get the message across to as many people as possible.
Keep warm but keep safe
This includes distributing them to all 570 LPG distributors around the country, including retail hardware stores and service stations, as well as getting them into Citizens Advice Bureaus, budgeting centres and organisations that care for the elderly.
Mr Gilbert says a couple of recent incidents have highlighted the need for good information for the elderly about LPG cabinet heaters, but he adds that LPG is used by people across the spectrum, and the safety message needs to get to everyone.
As an added incentive, the campaign is running a competition for people to go into the draw to win one of five barbecues.
For more information, visit the LPGA website, www.lpga.co.nz, or the Energy Safety website, www.energysafety.govt.nz.