--- title: Flame Retardant Chemicals Save Lives - Formulated Polymers description: The number of fire deaths per inhabitants decreased by more than 50% in Great Britain between 1992 and 2012 but this is clearly not the case worldwide... image: https://www.polymers.co.uk/hubfs/Flame-Retardant-Chemicals-Save-Lives.jpg --- [![logo](https://www.polymers.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Formulated_Polymers_Theme_Sep2023/Images/Logo/logo.webp?width=252&height=77&name=logo.webp "logo")](https://www.polymers.co.uk/) - [Home ](https://www.polymers.co.uk) - About - [History](https://www.polymers.co.uk/history) - [Meet The Team](https://www.polymers.co.uk/meet-the-team) - [FAQ's](https://www.polymers.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions) - Products - [Carpet and Rug Compounds](https://www.polymers.co.uk/carpet-and-tile-backing-coatings) - [Foam Impregnants](https://www.polymers.co.uk/flame-retardant-foam) - [Natural Latex and Pre-vulcanised](https://www.polymers.co.uk/natural-latex-and-pre-vulcanised) - [Packaging](https://www.polymers.co.uk/packaging) - [Textile](https://www.polymers.co.uk/textile-coatings) - [Upholstery](https://www.polymers.co.uk/upholstery) - [Blinds and Curtains](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blinds-and-curtains) - [Building & Construction](https://www.polymers.co.uk/building-construction) - [Transport](https://www.polymers.co.uk/transport-upholstery) - [Tenting](https://www.polymers.co.uk/tenting) - [Anti-slip Adhesives](https://www.polymers.co.uk/non-slip-coatings-pallet-liners) - [All Our Products](https://www.polymers.co.uk/all-products) - [Blog](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog) - [Contact Us](https://www.polymers.co.uk/contact-us) - [+44 1706 828208 ](tel:+44%201706%20828208) - [enquiries@polymers.co.uk](mailto:enquiries@polymers.co.uk) # Flame Retardant Chemicals Save Lives ![banner-image](https://www.polymers.co.uk/hubfs/Formulated_Polymers_Theme_Sep2023/Images/banner-image.webp) ![Flame-Retardant-Chemicals-Save-Lives ](https://www.polymers.co.uk/hubfs/Flame-Retardant-Chemicals-Save-Lives.jpg) ## Flame Retardant Chemicals Save Lives 7th August 2019 *The following article was published by CTIF The International Association of Fire and Rescue Services on the 26th of February 2019.* This article [reinforces the need for flame retardant chemicals](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/how-to-ensure-flame-retardant-performance-by-choosing-the-right-flame-retardant-manufacturer). In the UK sofas have [been treated with flame retardant chemicals](https://www.polymers.co.uk/flame-retardant-foam) for many years and as a consequence the number and severity of fires is significantly lower than in most other countries. [![Request A Quote](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2720861/dbd9120e-d56d-4f77-b563-bf23d7f6dce8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2720861/dbd9120e-d56d-4f77-b563-bf23d7f6dce8) The number of fire deaths per inhabitants decreased by more than 50% in Great Britain between 1992 and 2012. Figures from The UK department of communities and local government show that in 2013-2014 domestic fire deaths were at their lowest level for fifty years. This is clearly not the case worldwide as the article below clearly illustrates. ## 200 Times More Smoke And 8 Times Faster Burning Rate Than 50 Years Ago In an article this week, Canadian and American fire services are interviewed about [how fast modern construction materials, furniture and homes are burning compared to only 50 years ago](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/flame-retardant-chemicals-save-lives#) - what it means to residents, and to offensive, interior firefighters. The article references firefighters claiming that today's homes, furnished with modern technology and oil-based products, burn faster and present dangers never seen before. "Typically, 50 years ago, if a wool or cotton sofa was on fire you didn't see the wool or cotton sofa drip," Windsor Fire and Rescue chief training officer Paul Acton said. "So, what you now see is the synthetic material dripping. It's the oils; that's what all of the studies are finding leads to rapid fire spread and rapid pyrolysis and rapid combustion." Kingsville Fire Chief Bob Kissner has been fighting fires for 33 years and now teaches courses on fighting fires in the modern home. ## 200 Times More Toxic Smoke Kissner said today's house fires burn eight times faster and produce 200 times the amount of smoke that a fire would have 50 years ago. Chris Williams, Ontario's Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal, said even 30 years ago, a person had up to an estimated eight minutes to exit their home from the time their smoke detector went off. Today, a person has less than two minutes. "And there's not a fire department in the world that can respond to your home and rescue you in that time," Williams said. A classic test by CTIF Associate Member UL (Underwriter Laboratories), a not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organisation, found that an average-sized room furnished with modern products is fully engulfed in flames in three minutes. The same room furnished with items 50 years of age took 30 minutes to do the same. Williams said many response benchmarks established by fire departments 30 or more years ago were based on the time it took a room to reach "full involvement" or "flashover," terms that describe a room fully engulfed in flames. Kissner said tactics on scene have changed, too. "Previously, it was a green light to do what we call an offensive attack. We were going to go in the building and we're going to go to the seed of the fire and put it out," Kissner said. "I believe we're on a change mode. Now, we're going to have to start thinking of going to the fire and saying, 'we're not going in until we assess all the factors and determine that it's safe to do so.'" It used to take as long as 30 minutes for flames to engulf a room. Today, firefighters say it takes three. *(Tecumseh Fire and Rescue)* Williams said there are [a number of modern plastics, glues and hydro-carbon-based products that cause a faster "fire growth rate."](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/flame-retardant-trends-for-plastic) Individual items throughout the home combust more quickly, allowing flames and smoke to engulf rooms at a faster rate. That's why, Williams said, '"you have to react immediately to that smoke alarm." "You have enough time to make sure you're heading to the door as quickly as possible," Williams said. Williams said not only the heat can incapacitate a person, but so can the poisonous smoke and gas that's created. The plastic and glue create carbon monoxide and cyanide. "Both of these are very lethal," Williams said. "We are a consumer-oriented society," Kissner said. "We like stuff and unfortunately for us, the stuff we're putting into our houses today burns much more fiercely and produces volumes of greater amounts of smoke." *Image source: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/1uVCTVSn-2o)* *[![Request A Quote](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2720861/dbd9120e-d56d-4f77-b563-bf23d7f6dce8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2720861/dbd9120e-d56d-4f77-b563-bf23d7f6dce8)* [** ](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057443898104) [** ](https://twitter.com/polymerprods?lang=en) [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/formulated-polymer-products-ltd/) ### Posts By Topics - [Flame Retardants (26)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/flame-retardants) - [Adhesives (16)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/adhesives) - [News (10)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/news) - [Coatings (9)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/coatings) - [Rubber Latex (7)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/rubber-latex) - [Anti-Slip Coating (6)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/anti-slip-coating) - [Wet Bond Adhesives (6)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/wet-bond-adhesives) - [Cold Seal Packaging (4)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/cold-seal-packaging) - [Food Packaging (4)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/food-packaging) - [Liquid Latex (4)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/liquid-latex) - [Water Based Coatings (2)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/water-based-coatings) - [Lamination Adhesives (1)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/lamination-adhesives) - [Pallet Liners (1)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/pallet-liners) - [Storage (1)](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/topic/storage) [see all](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/flame-retardant-chemicals-save-lives#) ### Latest articles [UK Furniture Fire Safety Reform: Understanding FR Furniture](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/the-importance-of-flame-retardant-furniture) [New Products](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/our-new-products) [8 Applications Where Latex Compounds Are Used](https://www.polymers.co.uk/blog/latex-compound-applications) ### Subscribe to our blog This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 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