- Author
- Robertson, A. F.
- Title
- Fire Effluent Toxicity: ISO Involvement, Approach and Problems.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Book or Conf
- Co-Operating to Fight Fire. 3RD Symposium on Combustibility and Plastics. October 24-25, 1983, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1-10 p., 1983
- Keywords
- Histories | fire risk assessment
- Abstract
- The events leading up to the establishment of the present subcommittee ISO/TC92/SC3 on "Toxic Hazards in Fires" are described. During the seven year period of work on this subject, it has been recognized that proposal of any test method should be accompanied by adequate explanatory material to assure that those applying the procedure would be warned against possible improper and irrelevant application of test data. The early enthusiasm of various members of the group for proposal and adoption of a test method has given way to recognition of the complexity of the problem. The great randomness of fire development and the pervasive movement of the fire effluent through a structure present serious problems for any who would seek to justify a test method. A brief illustration of the complexity of fire risk assessment as an approach to toxic hazard is presented. These problems, formidable for any approach to toxic hazard is presented. These problems, formidable for any approach to toxic hazard is presented. These problems, formidable for any national standards organization, are aggravated by differing attitudes among nations who are members of an international organization. In spite of these nations who are members of an international organization. In spite of these and other problems, the four working groups of the subcommittee are cooperatively active in pursuing the work involved. Their work is briefly reviewed.