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Lethal effects of mattress fires

From National Research Council Canada

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DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.4224/40001536
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Affiliation
  1. National Research Council of Canada
FormatText, Article
Conference2nd Annual Meeting of the Information Council on Fabric Flammability, December 1968, New York, New York, United States
SubjectFire; mattresses; fire hazards; fire safety; ventilation; toxicity
Abstract
Fatal fires are often attributed to smoking in bed, and it is found in some cases that the only material consumed is the victim's bedding. The mode of burning of cotton wadding in mattresses ignited in this way is unusual: there is no flame or glow, but heat and smoke are released. In a series of experiments with varying degrees of ventilation, the products of combustion were measured and the temperature recorded. On the basis of published information on toxicity, estimates were made of the duration of human survival in each case; this is found to be of the order of one hour either in a sealed room or one where the door is opened 2 in. Some simple passive defence measures against this type of fire were tested and found effective.
Publication date
PublisherNational Research Council of Canada. Division of Building Research
Series
  • Research Paper (National Research Council of Canada. Division of Building Research), no. DBR-RP-402 (1 May 1969).
NoteReprinted from: Proceedings, Second Annual Meeting of the Information Council on Fabric Flammability, held in New York City, December 1968, p. 204-229.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NRC numberNRC 10773
NRC-IRC-2531
NPARC number20373803
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Record identifiercf5f7874-4a03-4a4e-83a6-71e967c8f988
Record created2012-07-23
Record modified2024-01-29
Date modified: