Safe Use of Lighters
Help on accessing alternative formats, such as PDF, MP3 and WAV files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section
 (103 KB)
The Issue
Because of government regulations, lighters in Canada are among the safest in the world. However, some convenience stores, gas stations and other retail outlets sell disposable and refillable lighters that do not meet Canadian safety requirements.
Background
Health Canada inspectors have removed thousands of disposable and refillable cigarette and utility lighters from convenience stores, gas stations and other retail outlets because they do not meet the current Canadian safety requirements and are, therefore, illegal for sale. Lighters sold in Canada must be child resistant, properly labelled and safe. Canadian standards are higher than those in other countries, including the United States.
The brand names of illegal lighters that have been seized include:
- 1hit.com
- Actex
- AG
- AGS®
- Alpine
- AM
- American Match
- ATUMIL ®
- Best
- Boda Bing
- C-lites
- Cartier
- CARVEN (Paris) Capacci
- Cig
- Eagle Lites
- Easyway
- Elite
- Everglide
- Gil
- GloLite
- Go
- Happy
- Harry
- Honest
- Hongda
- IM corona, 1186
- IWAX
- Jenmor
- King
- Liberty Lites
- Living Picture
- Maxlite
- Meibai 3000
- Obvious Vitality
- One Plus
- Pearl ®
- Picoflam
- Prometheus®
- Regal Light
- Roll N Lite®
- Silver Match
- Snaplite
- Solo®
- Spin-Lite
- Strik'n Lite
- Sun Lite
- Sun
- Techno®
- Tiger
- Touch Lite
- TUV
- Vector®
- Verdi
- Viva
- VOV Vogue
- W-Push-Lite
- Wax
- Windmill®
Illegal lighters are often smuggled into Canada and then sold to unsuspecting retailers. Any retailer selling illegal lighters could have them seized by Health Canada inspectors and could face prosecution under the Hazardous Products Act.
To meet Canadian standards, lighters must be sold with the name of the Canadian distributor/importer and the bilingual warning. "Keep out of reach of children/Tenir hors de la portée des enfants."
The Health Risks of Illegal Lighters
Using illegal lighters can expose you and your family to the risks of fire, injury and burns because they have been known to:
- explode or leak gas when dropped or exposed to heat
- continue to burn after the trigger is released
- have excessive flame heights
- have inadequate warnings or instructions for safe use
Since many lighters are not designed to meet Canada's child resistance requirements, they may also be very easy for children to operate.
Minimizing Your Risk
You can help ensure the safety of your family by following these steps:
- Look for the name of the Canadian distributor/importer and the bilingual warning on any lighter before you buy. If this labelling is absent, don't buy it.
- If you have a lighter without this information on it or with one of the brand names listed above, stop using it and contact the Health Canada Product Safety office nearest you to report the location of the store where it was bought.
- Keep lighters and matches out of sight and out of the reach of children. Make sure children never play with lighters.
- Teach your children about the dangers of lighters and matches and do not show them how to operate your lighter.
- Make sure the lighter you buy is child-resistant. Do not de-activate the child-resistant mechanism. Remember that child-resistant does not mean child-proof.
- Never leave a lighter in a car on a hot summer day or near a heater/stove because it could explode.
Health Canada's Role
Health Canada enforces the Hazardous Products (Lighters) Regulations, which were established in 1979 to help reduce the deaths, injuries and property damage associated with the use of lighters. Health Canada is introducing amendments to the regulations to ensure that multipurpose, barbecue or utility lighters also meet similar safety requirements.
Health Canada has recently issued a public warning about the dangers posed by illegal lighters.
Need More Info?
For more information or to report a lighter incident, consumers and retailers should contact the nearest regional Product Safety Office of Health Canada
Or contact:
The Consumer Product Safety Bureau
Health Canada
MacDonald Building, 4th Floor
123 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Or call (613) 957-4467
Send your questions via e-mail to CPS-SPC@hc.gc.ca or
The Consumer Product Safety Bureau
Government of Canada -  Public Safety
Additional It's Your Health articles
You can also call (613) 957-2991
©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada,
represented by the Minister of Health, 2004
Original: March 2004
|
