New Invention Promises to Improve Candle Safety

Consumers have driven many safety issues in our culture: toy safety, children's car seats, infant crib construction and automobile seat belts, to name a few. From the Wall Street Journal to the network news, candle safety is becoming an increasingly important issue to consumers.

It is estimated that candles are used in seven out of 10 households in the United States. Consumer retail sales for 2000 totaled more than two billion dollars in an industry that has averaged a growth rate of 10-15 percent annually since the early 1990s -- until recently, when that number doubled, according to the National Candle Association. Increased candle usage has resulted in increased candle related fires, injuries and death. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, candle fires account for 2.4 percent of all fires.

More than ever before, candle makers are being called upon to make the safest candle possible. And, one solution may be as simple as raising the flame above the base of the candle.

New Safety Device Holds Promise to Solve Problem

The growing interest in candle safety may be the next movement to revolutionize an industry, and Hearth & Home Traditions, Ltd., creator of The Original Cake Candle, may have just lit a flame to fuel the cause with their new, patented Wick Pedestal.

The problem is simple. Candle users sometimes leave burning candles unattended or burn them all the way to the bottom against the recommendations of most manufacturers. The pool of wax at the bottom of a candle can catch fire (flashover) when matches, wick trimmings or other debris are permitted to remain in a candle while burning.

A newly patented product invented by Hearth & Home Traditions, Ltd., in Norwich, Ohio, addresses this issue. The new Safe at Home Wick Pedestal raises the candle flame sufficiently above the floor of the container or the bottom of a freestanding candle to help prevent flashover. A seal of glue prevents the candle wax from being drawn up the wick once the depth of the fuel falls below a pre-determined level. The risk of candle fires is greatly reduced.

Both of these features are more forgiving when a customer allows matches and wick trimmings to accumulate or allows the candle to burn all the way to the bottom. Products offering these features will be identified by the Safe at Home trademark.

While these improvements will decrease the chance of a candle fire, it is not a guarantee and customers should still follow the burning instructions provided with each candle.

The first item to carry the Safe at Home Wick Pedestal was introduced in January of 2001. The Wick Pedestal will debut in The Original Cake Candle in June of 2001.

Consumer Misuse Still the Number One Cause of Candle Related Fires

The industry has been reluctant to produce candles that go out by themselves. The fear is that consumers will come to rely upon this feature. Hearth & Home cannot guarantee that each and every candle will self extinguish, because no one knows what the consumer will ultimately do with a candle.

We cannot promise every candle will self extinguish. However, this is the safest candle we have made to date, and in most cases, it actually will be more forgiving if it is misused. Hearth & Home continues to lead the industry with research to make candles safer for consumers.

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

EDITOR'S NOTE:

George Pappas, Sr. is the president of Lumi-Lite Candle Co., Inc. and Hearth & Home Traditions, Ltd. , known as the originators of The Original Cake Candle. He is also a past president and past technical committee chairman of the National Candle Association. Mr. Pappas chaired The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) committee that developed the first Terminology Standard for candles and currently heads up the ASTM Committee on candle smoking. Founded in the early1960s, Lumi-Lite Candle Co., Inc. is a leader in candle and candle fragrance technology, developing proprietary blends of fragrance, color and wax that are used to manufacture products that provide the safest and highest quality. Lumi-Lite is the only candle manufacturer in the world with in-house candle and candle fragrance research development facilities.

*** Please notice in the Sidebar below that the first letters of each line spell out "TAKE CARE."

SIDEBAR:

Hearth & Home Urges All Candle Users to TAKE CARE:

- Trim the wick to one-fourth inch at all times to prevent excessive smoking.

- Always keep candles away from anything that can catch fire.

- Keep a burning candle in sight.

- Extinguish a candle when it reaches one inch from the bottom to avoid spontaneous flashover.

- Carefully remove all wick trimmings, matches and debris to prevent secondary wicking.

- Always keep candles away from pets and children.

- Read manufacturer's instructions.

- Extinguish any candle that smokes excessively. Let cool, trim wick to one-fourth inch. Relight. If smoking persists, return it to where it was purchased.