Cookstove Burn Prevention by Geometry and Shielding: A Reach-Envelope Design Rule for Children Aged 1-3 Years

SIMULATED, NOT MEASURED. Geometric reach-envelope model for a standing child aged 1-3 years (design case: tall 36-month-old, stature 102 cm, arm 48 cm, vertical reach 132.6 cm). Elevation and setback alone do not defeat fingertip touch (a 90 cm stove needs a 56 cm setback); fixed front-shield combinations do (e.g. 90 cm stove, 20 cm setback, 20 cm shield; path over shield 54.4 cm > 48 cm arm). Pots of 1.5-5.0 kg slide at 5.9-19.6 N and tip at 10.8-36.0 N, below a plausible 30-70 N child pull, so pot weight is not a safeguard. Nothing was built or tested with children. Failure cases (climbing, older siblings, removed shields) are stated in the paper.