Consumer Product Safety

Special News31

October 12, 2000

Calling Attention related to Spread of Flame in Using Heating Candle

As the accident information collected by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, an accident in using a heating candle for aromatherapy and a teapot was reported that the flame was spread to the upper face whole body of the candle and a user was burnt by the dispersion of the wax.

A result of a test performed on the appropriate product showed that, when it is combusted for a long time or according to the combination with a pot, the similar states will occur so that, to contribute to prevention of the reoccurrence of the similar accident, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) decided to provide the information of the appropriate accident.

1. Accident Occurrence Situations

When a user burned a heating candle, which has been used daily for about 2 years, in an oil warmer (also called as an aroma pot or a burner) for aromatherapy, approximately 2 hours later, the flame spread to the upper face whole body of the candle so that the user took it out with a pair of tweezers, then suddenly melt wax was dispersed, the user was burnt in the hand, and a part of a desk was scorched.
(As for the product causing the accident, refer to the photograph attached separately.)
The used candle was put in a metal cup whose depth was 2.6cm. The depth of the candle cup used conventionally was 1.5cm.

Back to top

2. Accident Item

Brand Name:
6 SENTINEL NIGHTLIGHTS
Produced by:
UK
Manufactured by:
Prince's Patent Candle Company Limited London
Imported by:
Scandinavian Information Center, Inc.

Back to top

3. Origins of Accidents

  1. (1)Causes of "spreading"
    The results of the combustion test showed that the candle causing the accident has such structures that a metal cup was deep, the flame was easily ignited to the molten wax, the oil warmer used combined therewith had a large air intake port, and the flame easily caused the vibration, so that the flame ignited to the molten wax by the long-time (approximately 4 hours) combustion.
  2. (2)Causes of "dispersion of wax"
    The vibration dispersed the molten wax when the metal cup was held with a pair of tweezers and moved. It was also confirmed that when a waterdrop was dipped in the metal cup, the melt wax was cracked and dispersed.

Back to top

4. Matters Required Attention

Because the original purpose of the candle causing the accident seems to be lighting from its name, the metal cup is deeper compared with those of the heating candles generally distributed a lot. Though it can combust for a long time, the flame sometimes ignites to the molten wax therein and burns with a large flame and soot, therefore the user must take due attention.

Even if it does not ignite, not to mention of when it ignites thereto, the wax under combustion is molten so that, if you vibrate a cup, if you drip a waterdrop thereon, or if you blow out the candle, such an action is extremely dangerous because the molten wax will be dispersed, therefore paying due attention.

These attentions are similarly required for the heating candle with a general and shallow metal cup.

Photograph 1 Product Causing Accident

[General Candle]

[Faulty product of candle (Identical product caused the accident)]

[Oil warmer (aroma pot or burner) used in the accident]

Contact us

 Consumer Product Safety Public Relations Division  Product Safety Technology Center  National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
Phone number:+81-6-6612-2066
Fax number:+81-6-6612-1617
Address:1-22-16 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 5590034, Japan MAP