Appliance Policy

APPLIANCE POLICY

With the colder weather quickly approaching, GSA would like to remind our customers about the use of space heaters in our buildings. Attached and stated below, are a few notes regarding the space heater policy, as well as other common appliances being used in the building.

In the attachments, the most important information has been highlighted in yellow. However, all the information should be reviewed, so please take some time to read these policies.

Space Heaters:

As a reminder, space heaters are allowed only under certain conditions. If you or your area is constantly cold, please inform me, as there might be a bigger issue occurring with the heating and cooling system. GSA must first investigate the HVAC issue and then attempt to fix the issue, before a space heater will be approve for use. Only after the HVAC issue has been addressed, will we determine whether a space heater will be approved for use in your space. ALL space heaters, MUST be inspected, tagged and approved by the building manager before use.

Space heater required safety features must include the following:

1. No exposed coils 2. Must be a ceramic heater 3. Requires Auto Overheat Shut-off Protection 4. Requires Safety Tip-Over Switch (DO NOT turn your heater off, at any point, by just tipping it over. Please turn the entire unit off by the switch.) 5. Requires a Power Indicator Light

If you currently use a space heater and are wondering if it meets the requirements, please contact me and I will be more than happy to look at it.

Also attached are picture examples of space heaters that are and are not approved. *If you have a space heater that is not approved, please remove it immediately and inform me of the temperature issues. GSA will assess the situation and determine which direction to head.

Other Appliances:

Other appliances that may be of interest include toasters, toaster ovens, hot plates and hot water tea pots/kettles. Some of these commonly used appliances are not approved for use in GSA buildings.

Appliances that are NOT Approved for use within the building include:

1. Toasters and hot plates are NOT approved for use in office space, cubicle space, break rooms, kitchenettes or anywhere within the building. The reason for not allowing the use of toasters and hot plates is that both these items have heating sources that can be easily exposed to combustibles (paper, cardboard, paper towels, napkins, etc.).

Hot plates are dangerous as combustibles or even worse a person can come into contact with the hot surface.

*If you have any of these items in your area, please remove them immediately and replace them with an approved appliance, listed below.

Appliances that ARE Approved for use within the building include:

1. Coffee makers have a hot plate like surface that keeps the coffee warm, however these are permitted in break rooms and kitchenettes only. Coffee makers are also required to have an automatic shut-off.

2. Toaster ovens prevent combustibles from being exposed to the heating element by virtue of the door. Therefore, toaster ovens are approved over a toaster and are permitted in break rooms and kitchenettes only.

3. Hot water tea pots/kettles should have a heating element that is concealed, has an automatic shut-off, and dry boil protection. These are permitted in break rooms and kitchenettes only. The fire marshal would recommend that a ceramic tile be placed underneath these as to prevent the counter top from heating up to a temperature that could cause ignition. (Please see the attachment picture examples of the approved hot water tea pot/kettle)

4. Refrigerators and microwaves are approved appliances and are permitted in break rooms and kitchenettes only. Personal refrigerators, microwaves and coffee makers are not permitted in office spaces or cubicles.

All of these policies, requirements and guidelines are put into place for the safety of everyone within the building. If you are not sure which appliances are approved or not, please contact me and I will be more than happy to look at the appliance.

******Please make sure ALL appliances are turned off at the end of each day.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I appreciate your cooperation and understanding.