Jan. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday that flame mitigation devices will be required for all new gas cans and fuel containers starting in July.
The commission said the requirement affects all portable containers of flammable liquid, whether sold empty or pre-filled with fuels such as charcoal lighter fluid, liquid fireplace fuels and premixed gasoline and engine fuel.
"Each year, thousands of people go to emergency departments with burn injuries related to flammable liquids," it said, stating the new measure aims to make "gas cans and other fuel containers safer."
Flame mitigation devices protect against flame jetting and container rupturing, both of which can occur when a flammable liquid is poured from a container over exposed flames causing a sudden ignition of fuel within the container itself.
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Flame jetting is when that ignition forces burning vapor and liquid to expel from the mouth of the container, creating "a blowtorch-like effect," and container rupturing is when the burning vapor and liquid are expelled through a break in the carrying vessel.
Congress started requiring the safety regulation in 2020 when former President Donald Trump signed the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act into law as part of an omnibus spending bill.
According to a release from the bill's sponsor Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., after the legislation was signed into law, current standards for combustible liquid containers cause more than 160,000 fires annually, resulting in 454 deaths and injuring more than 4,000 people.
"Flame accidents have tragic consequences, but the solution is smaller than a dime and cheaper than a nickel," Thompson said in late December 2020. "That's why I am proud to see this critical bill become law so we can implement the simple and cost-effective solution of flame mitigation devices."
