(1) The purpose of ss. 823.07–823.09 is to prevent deaths due to suffocation of children locked in abandoned or discarded iceboxes, refrigerators, deep-freeze lockers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, or similar airtight units from which the doors have not been removed.

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   (2) It is unlawful for any person knowingly to abandon or discard or to permit to be abandoned or discarded on premises under his or her control any icebox, refrigerator, deep-freeze locker, clothes washer, clothes dryer, or similar airtight unit having an interior storage capacity of 1¹⁄₂ cubic feet or more from which the door has not been removed.

   (3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to an icebox, refrigerator, deep-freeze locker, clothes washer, clothes dryer, or similar airtight unit which is crated or is securely locked from the outside or is in the normal use on the premises of a home, or rental unit, or is held for sale or use in a place of business; provided, however, that “place of business” as used herein shall not be deemed to include a junkyard or other similar establishment dealing in secondhand merchandise for sale on open unprotected premises.

   (4) It shall be unlawful for any junkyard dealer or secondhand furniture dealer with unenclosed premises used for display of secondhand iceboxes, refrigerators, deep-freeze lockers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, or similar airtight units to fail to remove the doors on such secondhand units having an interior storage capacity of 1¹⁄₂ cubic feet or more from which the door has not been removed. This section will not apply to any dealer who has fenced and locked his or her premises.

ss. 1, 2, ch. 29707, 1955; s. 1, ch. 67-135; s. 1, ch. 7