This protective grille is designed to prevent
carbon monoxide poisoning due to incomplete
combustion and fires caused by abnormal ignition of gas appliances during painting work in
apartment buildings and other buildings. This grille protects areas that should not be stained by paint, even if the gas appliance's intake and exhaust ports are covered. This can lead to malfunctions and fires. Currently, when painting large
apartment buildings (approximately 100 units), even if residents are informed not to use their gas appliances during painting work on a particular floor, they may still accidentally use them. The Director of the Gas Safety Office, Safety Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has requested cooperation from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Construction Economics Bureau regarding the prevention of
carbon monoxide poisoning caused by blockages in gas appliance intakes and exhaust ports during painting work. It has been reported that 54 such accidents occurred over the five years from 2017 to 2021. When painting, painters cover the air intake and exhaust vents with vinyl, then immediately
cut them out with a utility knife and use
masking tape to ensure proper ventilation. However, even if multiple people
cut out the numerous intake and exhaust vents with a utility knife, someone may lose concentration and end up with a loose opening, resulting in a clogged vent and incomplete
combustion. This product is made of
cardboard treated with a
flame retardant and consists of a right-side component, a left-side component, and an adjustment component for adjusting the horizontal width. Since the width of the intake and exhaust vents varies depending on the building, this can be adjusted. (The vertical size is long enough to accommodate this product.) Once
assembly is complete, the intake and exhaust vents are attached and secured with paper
masking tape. In particular, when painting the
eaves, the walls and floors must all be covered with vinyl, so vinyl is applied to the walls, and then the vinyl is
cut with a utility knife to fit the size of the product that has already been installed and fixed, and then connected to the product with paper
masking tape. In the area where the masking tape will be applied,
cellophane tape is attached to the
cardboard, so by applying the paper masking tape to that area, the
cellophane tape and paper masking tape can be peeled off cleanly when the product is removed, so it can be reused several times.(Since
cellophane tape has excellent
adhesive properties for
cardboard, paper masking tape will not pull on the cellophane tape and the surface of the cardboard will not peel off.) It protrudes diagonally about 10 to 12 cm from the opening line of the existing air intake and exhaust vents, has a wide opening, and has an exhaust vent at the top. There is a covering part at the top as shown on pages (5), (6), and (7), so paint cannot get in and exhaust can be released, so gas appliances can be used without any problems.