- Author
-
Tyrrell, E. A.
- Title
- Fire Incidents Involving Flammable Liquids, Gas, and Dry Explosives. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
-
NBSIR 75-784,
October 1975,
58 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
accidents
|
explosives
|
FFACTS
|
gasoline
|
ignition source
|
injuries
- Abstract
- From the NBS Flammable Fabrics Accident Case and Testing System as of December 1973, flammable liquids, gas, and dry explosives were found to be involved in 832 incidents, injuring 863 victims. Volatile flammable liquids represented 77 percent of the incidents; 72 percent of these liquids were gasoline. Male victims out-numbered females more than 3 to 1. Young adults, ages 21-45, and youth, ages 13-20, were injured most frequently. Children and youth were injured primarily through what was considered as play activities. Adults generally were injured while engaged in activities traditionally considered as being oriented to the particular sex involved. Streetwear, particularly shirts/blouses, was reported most frequently as igniting first. Thirty-six percent of the fabrics represented in these incidents were contaminated with a flammable liquid. Most of the victims sustained burn injuries covering 1-10 percent of their bodies; only 6 percent sustained burn injuries covering 61 percent or more of their bodies. Most of the victims were hospitalized for treatment of their injuries. Although the very young and the elderly were involved in these incidents less frequently than other age grou0ps, they generally were burned more severly and represented 46 percent of the victims who died in the hospital or were dead on arrival.