Gas Fireplace Settlement

https://www.gasfireplaceclaim.ca/site/home

Gas Fireplace Settlement
**If you have a glass-fronted gasburning fireplace, fireplace insert or heating stove, this class actionsettlement may entitle you to claim, free of charge, a barrier intended toprevent burns. **
Whatis this class action about?
This class action is aboutallegations concerning the risk of burns from contact with the hot glass frontof some gas burning fireplaces, inserts and stoves. The class action wascertified by the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the “Court”). The lawsuit named Lennox Industries (Canada) Ltd., Lennox IndustriesInc., Lennox Hearth Products LLC., and Security Chimneys International Ltd.(the “Settling Defendants”).
A negotiated settlement was reachedwhereby eligible residents of Canada may claim and receive, free of charge, a fireplace barrier screen or gate to reduce the burn risk in thehome.
You are eligible to make a claim](https://www.gasfireplaceclaim.ca/site/claim/intro) ifyou purchased one of the following covered fireplaces, in Canada,during the period starting January 1, 2001 andending December 31, 2014.
Covered fireplaces include:

  • Astria
  • BIS
  • Comfort Flame
  • Country Stoves
  • Design Dynamics
  • Earth Stove
  • FMI Products
  • Iron Strike
  • Lennox Hearth Products
  • Marco
  • Superior Fireplaces
  • Vantage Hearth
  • Whitfield

Whocan receive benefits under this class action?
You may be a Class Member andentitled to receive, free of charge, a fireplacebarrier screen or gate under the settlement agreement if:

  • You are a Canadian resident, and;
  • You purchased one of the covered fireplaces listed above, and;
  • You purchased of a covered fireplace in Canada, and;
  • Your purchase was made between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2014.
  • You are a resident of British-Columbia; or
  • If you are not a resident of British Columbia, you opt-in to the class action.

The Court has ordered that eligibleclaimants are:
(Consumer Class) Persons in BritishColumbia, and all persons residing elsewhere in Canada who opt-in, who own oroccupy private property (the “premises”) where a Fireplace developed, designed,tested, manufactured, assembled, distributed, supplied, marketed, advertisedand – or sold by the Settling Defendants has been installed during the ConsumerClass Period. For the purposes of this definition, Persons shall excludenon-natural persons and those natural persons whose Fireplace is locatedoutdoors or is in business or commercial use.
Whattype of benefit may you be eligible for?
A Class Member is eligible toreceive, free of charge, a fireplacebarrier screen or gate to reduce the burn risk in the home.
You may receive either a free screen enhancement, a free substantiallycomplying screen enhancement, or a free standing barrier,depending on the model of your covered fireplace.
No other benefits such as a refund orcompensation cheque may be claimed or shall be payable.
Summaryof rights and options under the settlement
**Make a Claim **
The only way to receive a free fireplace barrier screen or gate.
You must file a claim](https://www.gasfireplaceclaim.ca/site/claim/intro) before November 5, 2018.

I see many NG or LP gas fire stoves or NG or LP gas log fireplaces throughout the year. Just last week in rural Quebec I was explaining to the clients, have a protective barrier in front of the stove. Kids are inquisitive.

From one manufacturer. Valor Barrier Screens - Included with every Purchase

In compliance with newly developed industry safety standards, all certified gas fireplaces manufactured after January 1, 2015 will include safety screens or protective barriers to reduce the potential for accidental contact with the hot glass window surfaces.

All Valor Gas Fireplaces have been factory equipped with protective screens since January, 2013 – complying with the new CSA standard, a full two years in advance of the pending mandatory requirements.

Fireplace surfaces, in particular the glass viewing window, are extremely hot during operation and will remain hot for a period of time after the fireplace is turned off. Contact with the hot glass can cause severe burns. Close adult supervision is required if there are young children, or at-risk individuals in the house.

Included with your purchase, a Valor Barrier Screen is recommended at all times. Install an approved aftermarket safety gate to keep toddlers, young children and at-risk individuals a safe distance from the fireplace.

April 1st, 2015 Press Release - Gas Fireplace Lawsuit Settled

**Dangers of fireplace glass


**](http://blogs.consumerreports.org/.a/6a00d83451e0d569e20147e27b4eb6970b-pi) Since 1999 more than 2,000 children under the age of six have suffered burns from glass enclosures on gas fireplaces, according to Fair Warning, a nonprofit publication concerned with health and safety issues.
Gas fireplaces can include glass fronts, doors or paneling, and they have become more popular over the years as a cleaner alternative to wood-burning stoves.
Voluntary industry standards allow for the glass on gas fireplaces to reach 500 degrees. Manufacturers do provide warning labels and brochures about the burn hazards of fireplace glass, but additional, and perhaps more effective safety steps could be taken. For example, Hearth and Home Technologies, a manufacturer of gas fireplaces, has begun including a mesh screen that surrounds the glass, providing an additional barrier between tiny hands and hot fireplaces.
Carol Pollack-Nelson, an independent safety consultant, is petitioning the industry to address this issue, and is currently waiting for a response to her latest query. Pollack-Nelson used to work with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and became involved with fireplace safety after serving as an expert witness in a class action suit against a manufacturer. Pollack-Nelson strongly believes that there needs to be a physical barrier to prevent severe burn injuries from contacting hot fireplace glass. “I have screens on all three of the gas fireplaces in my home. They do not detract in the least from the aesthetics of the flowing fire.”
The argument could be made that hot fireplaces are inherently dangerous to young children, regardless of glass parts, and many would argue that common sense or parental supervision could keep children safe. But since there is a practical, affordable way to add an extra layer of protection, why not include it in all new gas fireplaces.
–Maggie Shader