- Author
-
Gann, R. G.
- Title
- Measuring the Ignition Propensity of Cigarettes.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
-
Volume 1,
- Book or Conf
- Interflam 2007. (Interflam '07). International Interflam Conference, 11th Proceedings. Volume 1. September 3-5, 2007,
London, England,
145-155 p.,
2007
- Keywords
-
cigarettes
|
ignition
|
substrates
|
regulations
|
effectiveness
|
furniture
|
upholstered furniture
|
mattresses
|
legislation
|
cushions
|
reproducibility
|
ASTM E 2187
- Identifiers
- Cigarette Safety Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-567); Mock-up Ignition Method; Cigarette Extinction Method; percent ignitions or full-length burns on test method substrates; repeatability and reproducibility limits for the cigarette extinction method; less fire prone cigarette regulations; implications for testing of furnishings
- Abstract
- Cigarettes are the largest single cause of fire deaths in the United States, about 800 people per year over the past decade. The 30,000 fires annually have also resulted in nearly 2,000 reported injuries per year. As long as 15 years ago, the total direct cost of these fires was $4 billion annually. The typical scenario is that a dropped cigarette ignites a bed or upholstered chair. The smoke from the ensuing smoldering threatens those who remain in close proximity to the point of ignition. If the smoldering transitions to flaming, those elsewhere in the fire room or the dwelling are at risk. The historical approach to mitigating these losses has been to manufacture soft furnishings (upholstered furniture and mattresses) that are resistant to cigarette ignition. These designs, coupled with the rise of household smoke detectors, have reduced the losses to the levels cited above. Further gains depend on reducing the severity of the ignition source itself.