- Author
-
Kruger, L. G.
- Title
- Fire Safety: Toxicity of Buring Materials. Updated. January 24, l984.
- Coporate
- Library of Congress, Washington, DC
- Report
-
Mini Brief/MB83243,
November 15, l983,
7 p.
- Keywords
-
toxicity
|
combustion products
|
fire safety
- Abstract
- Amid the controversy, arguments, charges, and countercharges surrounding combustion product toxicity, there seem to be two points that almost all parties seem to agree on. One is that the fire death rate in the united States is unconscionably high and that actions must be taken to reduce it. The second is that scientists do not yet fully understand the effect of the total fire environment on how a fire starts, spreads, and kills people. Debate is shaped around these two general areas of agreement. Those in favor of tilting the government machinery toward regulation may then ask the question: does the immediate threat to life safety from burning plastics outweigh the objection that existing test methods are not yet fully developed. And those opposed to regulatory action can frame the question this way: if scientists determine that the total fire hazard resulting from synthetic materials is no greater than that of other materials, are we not needlessly diverting attention from other options (such as public education, sprinklers, and smoke detectors) which can much more effectively and immediately reduce fire deaths and injuries? Perhaps as scientific understanding of fires progresses, the answers to these questions will become more apparent.