MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Jan. 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pioneering Technology Corporation (TSX-V:PTE) (OTC:PTEFF), ("Pioneering"), North America's leader in cooking fire prevention technologies announced today that its patented temperature limiting control (TLC) technology has been identified in a study commissioned by Vision 20/20, as the ONLY stovetop heating element able to prevent the ignition of common kitchen items and subsequently prevent stovetop fires.
Cooking fires are by far the leading cause of residential fires, according to the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). To help identify contributing factors and potential solutions, the Vision 20/20 project, funded by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), commissioned an independent study conducted by Eastern Kentucky University's Fire & Safety Laboratory (EKU) to provide data on the heat characteristics of different range top configurations. The full report is available at www.strategicfire.org/page.cfm/go/Stovetop-Study.
The study consisted of extensive testing on four different types of stovetop heating elements to determine their ability to ignite common kitchen items (household materials and cooking oils). These element types included:
- Electric coil
- Ceramic (glass smoothtop)
- A regular Cast-iron burner
- Cast iron burner with temperature limiting control sensors – the Safe-T-Element
All element types tested except for Pioneering's Safe-T-Element TLC technology resulted in stovetop fires.
"The technology to help stop stovetop fires exists," said Vision 20/20 Project Manager Jim Crawford. "This testing also provides critical data into a larger effort to produce a standard where manufacturers could develop products that inhibit unintentional kitchen stovetop fires. Work on this problem continues in a partnership between the National Institute of Standards & Technology and the Fire Protection Research Foundation."
On October 7, 2014, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the Washington DC based trade association representing the vast majority of kitchen range and cook top manufacturers, announced a plan to reduce unattended cooking fires. "Our industry believes that recent technical advances related to electric coil ranges will enable companies to design cooking products that mitigate the potential for unattended cooking fires." In AHAM's press release it stated, "Today's announcement represents a leap forward in product safety improvement." The full release and plan can be found at www.aham.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/74829.
"Safe-T-Element has been installed in over 100,000 multi-residential housing units across North America without a single cooking fire reported," said Pioneering CEO Kevin Callahan. "The EKU report confirms what we already knew, but having the technology validated by members of the leading fire and public safety organizations in the U.S. will significantly advance the adoption/incorporation of this patented fire prevention technology."
Pioneering's patented fire prevention technology was, up until recently, only available to multi-residential commercial customers. However, the Company recently launched a new, easy to install, plug-and-play, consumer version - SmartBurner. SmartBurner is a similar device specifically engineered to help prevent stovetop cooking fires, save energy and make an electric coil stove look better, cook better and make it easier to maintain. Visit www.smartburnerisbetter.com for more information.
According to the USFA, the NFPA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):
- Over one half of all residential fires are caused by cooking.
- In 2011, cooking fires resulted in 470 deaths, 5,395 injuries and over $1 billion in property damage.
- Cooking, by far, has been the leading cause of household fires for the past 10 years.
- There has been a 40% increase in injuries from cooking fires during this period.
- There has been a 61% increase in dollar loss for the same period.
- The CPSC says that an additional 4.7 million cooking fires go unreported each year.
More information on cooking fires is available at www.nfpa.org/cooking.
About Pioneering Technology Corp: Pioneering, based in Mississauga, Ontario is an "Energy Smart" product innovation/consumer goods company and North America's leader in cooking fire prevention technology. Pioneering engineers and brings to market energy smart solutions for consumer products making them safer, smarter and/or more efficient. Pioneering's patented cooking fire prevention technologies/products are engineered to help prevent cooking fires, the number one cause of household fire (a multi-billion dollar problem) in North America and around the world. Pioneering cooking fire prevention trademarks include Safe-T-Element, SmartBurner, RangeMinder and Safe-T-Sensor. For more information visit: www.pioneeringtech.com.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of the Company with respect to its performance, business and future events. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results and events may vary significantly.
The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.