May 2011, Singapore – Disposable lighters have become a common necessity in many homes. Findings from a survey recently conducted with 100 Singapore consumers by BIC Product Singapore revealed that disposable lighters are used for many other “fire-lighting” related activities such as burning candles, incense, fray ends and cooking. Many are not aware of the potential fire hazards lighters pose due to improper storage or disposal. 78% of Singapore consumers are not aware of what makes a lighter safe or unsafe, and the protection they could get from an ISO certified safe disposable lighter.
There has been an increasing sale of low cost, low quality unsafe lighters, which has led to staggering global fire statistics. In Japan, children aged 0 to 4 years old made up 50% of total death caused by lighter-related fires while the United Kingdom accounted for 482 fire incidents, with 11 fatal casualties and 251 non-fatal injuries. In the United States, poorly manufactured lighters had set off 362 fire incidents causing four deaths and 82 incidents of explosions.
For something so small and insignificant to many of us, there is an ISO 9994 Safety Standard for Lighters. This international standard establishes the requirements to ensure a reasonable degree of safety for normal use or reasonably foreseeable misuse of lighters by users.
BIC lighters are built to minimize accidents with a limited flame height and a stable flame that does not spit, sputter or flare. They are resistant to dropping and high temperature so they do not burst. The flame on these lighters extinguish within two seconds.
The next time you get a lighter for your home, do make your choice carefully. BIC lighters are available in all major supermarkets and convenient stores and usually cost between S$1 to S$1.30.
