Welcome to CPSC’s podcast for Friday, July 18, 2008. I’m Patty Davis.

Children and gasoline don’t mix. Now there’s an additional layer of protection between your child and a fire with a gasoline container. A new federal law requires portable gas containers manufactured for sale in the U.S. to have child resistant caps.

CPSC’s Julie Vallese is here to talk about the new law.

Julie, what does this new law mean for families?

[Julie]: This new law means better fire safety protection for families. By having a child resistant cap it’s now making it more difficult for children to get into gasoline, a very flammable material. It’s an additional layer that parents can use inside their homes to protect their kids.

[Patty]: When does the new law go into effect?

[Julie]: The new law goes into effect in January 2009. The law states six months after the President signed it into law and that will be the beginning of next year.

[Patty]: What is CPSC’s role in the new law?

[Julie]: The role of the agency is to enforce the law, to do inspections, to make sure that gas cans are meeting this new federal law, making sure that manufacturers are putting in place new product so that consumers can start buying this additional layer of fire safety protection through their gas can.

[Patty]: Child resistant caps don’t necessarily mean that they are childproof. What other steps should parents take to keep their children safe?

[Julie]: That is important to remember. It’s child resistant. It’s not childproof. It means that a good portion of kids younger than 5 won’t be able to open it, but it doesn’t mean just buy the can and sit back. Practice good fire safety. Put it up high, away from where children can get into it, make sure it’s not being stored next to any kind of flammable source such as your hot water heater, and make sure that each and every time that you do put that gas can away that you make sure that the cap is tight and there’s no spillage around where you’re storing it.

[Patty]: Thanks Julie. You can find out more about gasoline container safety, as well as information about recalls announced by CPSC, at cpsc.gov. While you’re there, sign up to receive our recall announcements directly to your email inbox.

That’s it for this week’s CPSC podcast. Thanks for listening.

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