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Liquid Fuel Safety

From the Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa:

Domestic households consume over 700 million litres of paraffin (kerosene) every year in South Africa for cooking, lighting and heating. Paraffin is the most commonly used fuel source for low-income communities throughout the country and is used in over half of all South African homes. Paraffin is often used in conjunction with other forms of energy such as electricity, coal and wood. The majority of domestic paraffin incidents involve children as they are more likely to mistake paraffin stored in cooldrink bottles for water or cooldrink or be injured in paraffin-related fires.

Harmful paraffin incidents or injuries include:

  • Paraffin poising usually caused by drinking paraffin (ingestion). If paraffin, which is very viscous, gets into the lungs it often leads to
  • Paraffin-related fires and burns, often caused when appliances are knocked over or explode. According to doctors at the Baragwaneth
  • Indoor Air Pollution. Although this area is not well researched, we believe this is a significant health issue for South Africa's poorer families who rely on paraffin as a fuel. In poorly constructed informal homes and homes without alternative sources of heating, the paraffin appliances (especially stoves) are often used with the doors and windows closed resulting in poor ventilation. Besides reducing oxygen content and increasing carbon dioxide, the combustion of paraffin emits pollutants. This process is compounded if the fuel is contaminated with dirt or other substances. In addition, a reduction in oxygen levels will also reduce the efficiency of the burning process and result in increased emissions - a factor that is more significant at higher altitudes where the air is thinner.

Read about stove accidents in the press here

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Page created: 02 May 2007; Last edited: 21 August 2007; Version: 2
Knowledge Bank text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

Pagename: LiquidFuelSafety @HEDON: CNEA