Your Abilene Fire Department urges that all unused old-style refrigerators around the home be rendered "childproof" or, if on public property, appropriate authorities be called to safely dispose of the products. Reports Nationwide continue about the tragic deaths of young children who are suffocated because of entrapment in old refrigerators.

The Refrigerator Safety Act was enacted August 2, 1956. The Act's regulations which became effective October 30, 1958 require a mechanism (usually a magnetic latch) which enables the door to be opened from the inside in the event of accidental entrapment. This type of latch, therefore, makes the hazardous refrigerators manufactured before that date easy to identify. The serious entrapment hazard occurs when children, during play, climb inside the old abandoned or carelessly stored refrigerators to hide. Many of these refrigerators are still in use, and when they are carelessly discarded or stored where they are accessible to children, they become a danger.

Double deaths are not uncommon because children naturally enjoy playing together, and old refrigerators provide an interesting place to play. However, when the door slams shut, it is dark and the normally innocent and familiar refrigerator becomes a death trap. Suffocation then ensues because the tight fitting gasket, which is on the inside of the door to seal in the cold, cuts off the child's air. This along with the insulated construction of a refrigerator also prevents the children's screams for help from being heard.

There are several ways to "childproof" these old discarded refrigerators. The surest method is to take off the door completely and in most cases this is a simple process using a screwdriver. If the door will not come off, chain and padlock the door permanently and tightly closed. A third alternative is to remove or disable the latch completely so the door will no longer lock when closed. A wooden block screwed to the door to keep it from closing is also a possibility. Another helpful deterrent is to leave the shelves in the refrigerator to discourage children from getting inside. It is unlawful in many local jurisdictions to discard old refrigerators without first removing the door.

Old electric refrigerators are not the only killer of children. Self-locking ice refrigerators can also present a suffocation hazard to small children because they can not be opened from the inside.