Fried turkey tastes delicious, so it's understandable that in recent years propane turkey fryers have become increasingly popular. But at what price? Every Thanksgiving dozens of families endure Thanksgiving tragedy due to defective turkey fryers. Propane turkey fryers are so dangerous that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has recommended against their use. According to the NFPA; the hot oil can cause devastating burns and destruction of property. The New York Fire Department (NYFD) - and dozens of fire departments across the country - recommend against using propane fryers.
Consumer group after consumer group have weighed in against propane fryers. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) studied propane fryer hazards. Mr. John Drengenberg, an engineer and the UL Consumer Affairs Manager strongly recommends against the use of propane turkey fryers. Mr. Drengenber explains, UL found propane turkey fryers, "... not to be worth the risks. And, as a result of these observations, UL has decided not to certify any turkey fryers with our trusted UL Mark." Some manufacturers countered by putting phony "consumer listing mark of approvals" on their dangerous propane fryers.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has also issued alerts on propane turkey fryers. Every Thanksgiving the CPSC receives reports of turkey fryer burns. The CPSC has reported over one hundred incidents of propane turkey fryers causing burns. In addition, Consumer Reports issued a safety alert on propane turkey fryers. A video on their website graphically demonstrates just how quickly propane turkey fryers violently erupt.
These horrible burns happen to ordinary people. Take Richard, for instance. Richard was trying hard to be extra careful. However, in spite of his best efforts, Richard suffered severe burns while using a turkey fryer. Richard's description is similar to so many others, "The turkey fryer erupted like a volcano".
Most turkey fryers don't have any temperature control, allowing the oil to overheat and burst into flame, similar to a volcano erupting. The propane fryers that do have temperature controls, have temperature controls that are shoddy and unreliable. Which gives consumers a false sense of security. John Drengenberg, from UL, describes propane fryers as a "vertical flame thrower". CPSC's findings reveal the majority of reported incidents occur while the oil is being heated, prior to adding the turkey. The oil starts to overheat and smoke and then instantly turns into a "vertical flame thrower."
Remember, propane turkey fryers are meant to be used outdoors only, usually on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Almost everywhere in America can expect to receive either rain or snow on any given Thanksgiving or Christmas. With turkey fryers, rain or snow create a huge hazard. When the rain or snow hits the hot oil, the oil splashes or turns to steam, which can cause burns.
When it rains or snows, people will predictably try to move the turkey fryer to a place that doesn't directly expose the turkey fryer to the moisture. Or, just as often, folks move the turkey fryer away from a house or garage because they are concerned about starting a fire. Moving a hot turkey fryer often results in tragedy. Dozens and dozens of people have been seriously burned while trying to move a hot propane turkey fryer. The oil splashes or they lose a grip on the handle. Or worse, they slip and fall into the hot oil. This happened to a Fire Department veteran in California. While trying to move a turkey fryer out of the rain, the fryer tipped over. He slipped and fell in the oil, burning his arms, ankles, back and face.
The process of cooking the turkey poses additional hazards. Even under the best of circumstances and intentions hot oil may splash or spill at any point during the cooking process. Oil easily spills over the side of the pot and will ignite from the flames. Serious burns are often received when people try and remove the turkey out of the fryer.
Partially frozen turkeys also pose a significant risk. At best, partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect. At worst, the frozen turkey will cause the boiling oil to explode. In addition, many propane turkey fryers have an unstable three leg base. Allowing the fryer to easily topple over, causing burns.
Finally, when fire does occur, users often try and extinguish the flames with water. This is a huge mistake. When water contacts the hot oil, the water and oil cause a splatter effect, causing burns to anyone in the vicinity.
In most states, product liability laws use a risk-benefit test to determine whether a product is defectively designed. The work done by NFPA, NYFD, UL, Consumer Reports, and the CPSC make a strong case that the risks posed by a turkey fryer's design outweigh the benefits of the design. The potential harm resulting from the use of turkey fryers is serious and there is substantial likelihood that burns will occur.
There is a safer and feasible alternate design. Consumer Reports recommends electric turkey fryers as being much safer than propane models. These electric fryers have automatic temperature controls that will shut off the heat before the oil gets too hot. They are also designed to use much less oil than the propane models. This minimizes the spill over or splash hazard posed by propane models. Consumer Reports tests revealed the electric fryer turkey tasted just as delicious as turkey cooked with propane.
So it is not surprising, propane turkey fryer manufacturers have faced multiple product liability lawsuits across the country, paying millions in order to settle turkey fryer product liability lawsuits. There is a reason why propane turkey fryer manufacturers pay millions to settle. It's because propane turkey fryers are defectively designed. Ask Richard. Richard has endured surgery after surgery. Skin graft after skin graft. Now Richard faces a lifetime of tragedy. Richard will be the first to tell you - the risk isn't worth it. The money is never worth the lifetime of agony, pain, scarring and disfigurement. Take it from Richard - listen to the NFPA, NYFD, UL, Consumer Reports and the CPSC - the risks inherent with propane turkey fryers aren't worth it.
William Turley is a Past President of Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and has been on the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California for over 10 years. He has been successfully representing California catastrophic injury accident victims for over 20 years. For more free information regarding consumer safety click here => http://www.turleylawfirm.com
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