Gas stoves and grills are powered by natural gas, propane, butane, liquefied petroleum gas or other flammable gas that is ignited either by a pilot flame or electric ignition. Gas stoves are common in interior kitchens, whereas gas grills are for outdoor use only.
According to recent statistics, 75 percent of American households contain a grill. Less than half of single-person households own a grill, but over 85 percent of family households do. The northeastern U.S. is shown to use outdoor gas grilling appliances more frequently than other areas of the country, even during cold winter months.
The most common injurious and fatal hazards associated with defective gas cooking devices include:
Manufacturing and design defects contribute to the risks associated with the use of gas-powered cooking devices. Some examples of such defects include:
From 1999 to 2003, the us of gas ovens and stoves caused 75,200 home fires, resulting in 350 deaths, 2,790 injuries and $226.1 million in property damage. Other in-home gas cooking devices resulted in 10,500 home fires, 60 deaths, 420 injuries and $153.4 million in property damage. Gas grills and gas-operated outdoor cooking equipment ignited 3,200 home fires and caused 10 deaths, 140 injuries and $73.5 million in property damage.
In 2002, nine hundred emergency room visits were conducted and 1,940 injuries treated by American physicians as a direct result of gas cooking device usage. Approximately five percent of those resulted in hospitalization and 26 instances resulted in death.
As of 2001, 0.3 percent of all U.S. homes do not contain at least one standard oven. Of the 99.7 percent of American homes with standard ovens, 38 percent of them contain models that are gas-powered.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, product recalls were issued in the following instances due to defective or hazardous gas cooking appliances that resulted in injury, death and property damage: