Fires are a major cause of death and injuries. It is estimated that 4,300 persons are killed in the United States each year and 27,000 are injured. For the European Union the estimates are over 4,000 killed and 80,000 injuries per year. Many products are made safer through the appropriate use of flame retardants but still more could be done to improve fire safety further.

Fires happen when a combustible material comes in contact with a potential ignition source. The role of flame retardants is to make materials harder to ignite, and if once ignited, in many cases to reduce the rate of heat release or the rate at which flames spread to limit the total quantity of material involved in a fire.

In most cases fire test specifications are set with small scale test methods such as the UL 94 test from Underwriters Laboratories and these are usually the tests used by flame retardant manufacturers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products. However the scale of these test methods is a lot different to the real fires which kill and maim real people. The real test of the effectiveness of flame retardants is therefore in the difference they make in preventing actual fires.

Obviously it is impossible to count 'fires that don't happen'. Fortunately however there are a number of areas where actual fire statistics can demonstrate the clear benefits in saving lives and property through the use of fire test standards that require the use of flame retardants. Here are some examples:

Television Sets

The anti-halogen stance of some environmental organizations in Europe led to a consumer test magazine in Germany (1) downgrading those TV sets which contained brominated flame retardants. This encouraged TV manufacturers in the European Union to phase out the use of flame retardants in the cabinets since they were not actually required to meet the safety requirements in IEC 65 (2) . This states that enclosure materials should meet the requirements of the HB (Horizontal Burning) classification. The result of this change was that the number of TV set fires in Europe , which had been steadily decreasing over a number of years, began to increase again (3).

Upholstered Furniture

The state of California has had its own fire test regulations (4) for upholstered furniture since 1975. Statistics (5) demonstrate that the number of furniture related fire deaths in this state is significantly lower than in the remainder of the United States .

In the United Kingdom a new furniture fire safety regulation was introduced in 1988 to reduce the flammability of furnishing fabrics and fillings. A recent UK Government Report (6) reviewed the effectiveness of these Regulations after 10 years in operation. It estimates that the increased escape time due to ignition resistance and post ignition fire behavior of furniture to have saved 1860 lives between 1988 and 1997 and prevented at least 5,770 injuries. The effectiveness of this Regulation is expected to increase still further as pre-1988 furniture is progressively replaced.

Coal Mining

Coal mines have always been dangerous places with risks of fires and explosions. Conveyor belts are a major hazard because of their potential to generate an ignition source and to spread a subsequent fire. The most frequent danger arises from damaged idler rollers jamming. The resultant friction of the belt moving over them can generate sufficient heat to ignite spillage and dust nearby (7) . In the United Kingdom this type of fire occurrence led to regular deaths culminating in a major disaster at Cresswell Colliery in September 1950 when 80 miners died. This resulted in the introduction of the NCB 158 (later incorporated in BS 3289) fire test and the use of flame retarded PVC conveyor belting. Since then, although many similar fire situations have arisen, no conveyor belt meeting these specifications has ignited or spread a fire in a United Kingdom coal mine.

These are just three examples, from widely differing industries and applications, which demonstrate how flame retardants have been effective at saving lives and making the world we live in a safer place.

Flame Retardants

Flame Retardants are an important but not the only means of improving fire safety. In practice a balanced approach to fire safety is required including:

•  The selection and use of non-combustible materials or materials which are less likely to ignite and propagate fire

•  The treatment of potentially flammable materials to make them more difficult to ignite and spread fire

•  The safe design and construction of buildings

•  The installation of smoke detectors, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems

•  Education

We would encourage you to visit the following websites promoting fire safety:

http://www.firemarshals.org

http://www.acfse.org

References

(1) Stiftung Warentest, 4 (1993) p.23; 11 (1993) p.29; 5 (1994) p.35; 11 (1994) p.39; 5 (1995) p.24; 11 (1995) p.30; 5 (1996) p.28; 11 (1996) p.30; 5 (1997) p.47; 11 (1997) p.28.

(2) IEC 65 (EN 60065), Safety requirements for mains operated electronic and related apparatus for household and similar general use (1990)

(3) Simonson, M., Stripple, H., "LCA Study of Flame Retardants in TV Enclosures", Flame Retardants 2000 Conf. p.159-170. Interscience Communications, ISBN 0 953 2312 4 0 (2000) http://www.bsef.com/Docs/Simonson_2000.doc

(4) California Tech. Bull. 116 & 117, Bureau of Home Furnishings, California http://www.dca.ca.gov/bhfti/

(5) Briefing package on upholstered furniture flammability: Regulatory options for a small open flame test., CPSC, October 1997.

(6) Effectiveness of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1998., Govt. Consumer Safety Research, DTI, UK., June 2000.

(7) Fire Prevention July/August 1990 p 25

Fire Safety

Great Lakes is proud to support the following organizations dedicated to improving fire safety and making the world a safer place. Visit these web sites for more information on fire safety.

National Association of State Fire MarshalsAlliance for Consumer Fire Safety in Europe

National Fire Protection Association

Advocacy for Higher Fire Safety Standards

Great Lakes manufactures a wide range of flame retardants based on different technologies. Flame retardants are incorporated into certain materials and applications to reduce the likelihood of accidental ignition and development of a fire thereby reducing damage to property and the risks of injury or death. When manufactured and utilized properly, flame retardants pose no threat to human health. Government commissioned studies have shown that the benefits of using flame retardants outweigh any risks (see reference: Risks and Benefits in the Use of Flame Retardants in Consumer Products )

Two of the major classes of flame retardants manufactured by Great Lakes are based on bromine and phosphorus. Both are naturally occurring in the environment in combination with a myriad of organic and inorganic elements. They are found in plants, edible foods, and animal tissues including DNA and blood.

Bromine products, if manufactured and use properly, pose no threat to human health. Great Lakes is a manufacturer of brominated compounds used in a number of industries that help to promote and preserve human life such as the pharmaceutical and flame retardant industries. Due to the complexity and expense associated with handling elemental bromine, brominated compounds are manufactured in a only a few very specialized facilities around the world.

If you would like more information on bromine and its derivatives, including flame retardants, then visit the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum web site.

For more information on flame retardants visit the following web sites:

North America:

Fire Retardant Chemicals Association

Europe:

European Flame Retardants Association

European Brominated Flame Retardants Industry Panel

References:

1) Risks and Benefits in the Use of Flame Retardants in Consumer Products, by G.C. Stevens and A.H. Mann, Polymer Research Centre, University of Surrey, January, 1999.