A type of very commonly installed corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) used for gas lines into homes and commercial buildings could cause a fire in the event of a lightning strike, a nationwide class action lawsuit filed in Arkansas claims.
Jack McDonald, Chief Mechanical Inspector for the North Port Building Department, says this type of tubing has been installed in several residential developments and homes in North Port.
The Building Department is encouraging those who may be affected by the lawsuit to learn what their rights are under the terms of a pending settlement agreement with the four companies who manufacture the tubing: Titeflex Corporation, Ward Manufacturing, Inc., OmegaFlex, Inc., and Park Hannifin Corp.
“I think that if anybody has this situation, it would be very advisable to take advantage of the issue,” McDonald said.
The settlement agreement is likely to be certified by the Court on February 1. Under its terms, any individual or legal entity who owns structures anywhere in the United States in which CSST made by any of the four companies was installed as of September 5, 2006, is eligible for relief.
The relief is in the form of a payment voucher that can be used either toward the installation of a lightning protection system or for bonding and grounding of systems that are likely to be energized by a lightning strike.
CSST tubing consists of a flexible stainless steel pipe, typically covered with a yellow exterior plastic coating. One of the products manufactured by OmegaFlex, called “COUNTERSTRIKE,” is covered with a black coating with yellow lettering.
The coating is stamped with the name of the manufacturer. Ward’s is stamped “WARDFLEX”; OmegaFlex’s is stamped “TRACPIPE” or “COUNTERSTRIKE”; and Parker Hannifin’s is stamped “PARFLEX.” Titeflex’s product is called “GASTITE.”
It is possible to visually identify the tubing if it is exposed to view. It may be visible along floor joists, above basements, in attic spaces or connected to exposed appliances such as water heaters.
A claim form may be filed either electronically or by mail.
To file a claim online or to request that a form be mailed to you, click here.
The deadline for filing a claim is September 5, 2007.
To obtain a copy of the settlement agreement, write to the CSST Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 4349, Portland, OR 97208-4349. You may also call the Toll Free Settlement Information Line, 1 (800) 420-2916.
The settlement agreement legal notice is also available at the North Port Building Department in North Port City Hall, 4970 City Hall Blvd. For further information, contact Jack McDonald at 429-7179.
