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Flammable and Deadly Products

By: Alan Haburchak

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, just under 1,000 people die each year from upholstered furniture fires in which a piece of furniture is made with a highly flammable and highly toxic material once burned known as polyurethane foam.

Furniture fires with upholstery can reach nearly 1400 degrees in just minutes after a blaze begins. However, there area several places where retardant foam is required to be kept nearby in case of a furniture fire, including California and England and in places such as a prison, hospital or airplane. In California, a state that adopted flame retardant foam standards "California Foam" in the 1970's, there has been a 25 percent drop in deaths involving upholstered furniture beyond the national average.

Polyurethane has been dubbed "solid gasoline" by numerous fire marshals. Once ignited, the foam will burn rapidly at temperatures in excess of 1400 degrees. Additionally, a deadly gas known as hydrogen cyandide is emitted when the furniture burns and decomposes. Anoxia is what occurs when hydrogen cyanide is produced. When hydrogen cynadie interacts with carbon monoxide, the deadly effects are multiplied. Breathing in such gases can cause disorientation as suffocation sets in with the decrease of oxygen in the area. Double checking the materials of furniture in a home and discarding of flammable furniture is a preventative measure.

Statistics clearly indicate that the greatest threat to building occupants is the spread and exposure to toxic gases. This becomes highly significant where the victims of the fire were attempting to escape, but due to the effects of the toxic gases the normal escape responses become impaired and, accordingly, increase the lethal aspect of a fire. Deadly consequences can occur because of the extremely quick spread of such fires.

Individuals who may have flammable furniture should replace the furniture to ensure safety and may want to speak with an experienced attorney who can provide insight into how these unsafe items made it to market with so little warning from manufacturers. Having an adequate amount of fire extinguishers in the home as well as ensuring smoke detectors are functioning properly will help decrease the risk of injury in an upholstered furniture fire.

Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com

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