Clothes Dryers (Last Updated 07/10/2012)
Additional InformationThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is participating in voluntary standard and code activities to reduce fires related to household clothes dryers. Between 2006 and 2008, there were an estimated average of 7,000 residential fires annually attributed to household gas and electric clothes dryers. The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard, UL 2158, Electric Clothes Dryers, and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z21.5.1/Canadian Standards Association (CSA) 7.1, Gas clothes dryers Volume I, Type I clothes dryers, are the pertinent consensus safety standards. CPSC staff believes that improving clothes dryer performance and construction could reduce the number of fires and fire deaths. Staff also continues to promote consumer awareness and education regarding the proper use and care of clothes dryers, which staff believes can play an important role in helping to prevent fires.
Fact Sheets:
Incident Data:
Voluntary Standard and Code Activities:
Standards Developers
For further information concerning UL 2158 Standard for Electric Clothes Dryers, please contact Elizabeth Sheppard at elizabeth.h.sheppard@ul.com
For further information concerning ANSI Z21.5.1/CSA 7.1 Gas Clothes Dryers, please contact Allen Callahan at al.callahan@csa-international.org
Contact CPSC
For additional information or to comment, please contact cpsc-os@cpsc.gov
Join a voluntary standards Email Subscription List