Fire Safety and Safer Alternatives to PBDEs
The Truth About Deca and Fire Safety:
We Can Have Fire Protection Without Poisons
The bromine industry would have you believe that phasing out the widely used deca form of PBDEs will compromise the fire safety of consumer products. This is not true.
PBDEs in Wildlife & Puget Sound
Companies Using Safer Alternatives
2007 Priorities for a Healthy Washington
the use of PBDEs
see all supporters of the PBDE bill
The truth is that phasing out deca will not affect fire safety for these five reasons:
1. Mattress manufacturers do not have to use deca to meet federal fire safety
standards.
Under new mandatory standards issued by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) this year, crib and other mattresses must meet new fire safety standards. Deca is one of the flame retardant chemicals that can be used to meet this new standard, but it is not required.
Rather, a mattress must be made in such a way that limits the rate of growth and intensity of a fire so that people can escape their homes in time.
The CPSC standards allow for the use of both inherently fire-resistant materials and barriers that incorporate fire retardant chemicals. The CPSC has identified four chemicals other than deca that companies may use to comply with the fire standards. Prohibiting deca for this use, will not impact companies’ ability to meet the fire safety standard.
2. Safer alternatives to deca are available that meet the CPSC standards for mattresses.
The Washington State Department of Health has determined that several of the chemical options listed by the CPSC as meeting fire safety standards are safer than deca, including boric acid and melamine. Non-chemical approaches can also be used.
3. Electronic manufacturers continue to meet fire safety standards without using deca.
According to the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), the standard setting entity for electronic products, nearly 100% of televisions and computers meet the highest fire safety standards even though they are voluntary. Due to liability concerns, most retailers won’t sell products that do not meet the UL standards. Manufacturers for the U.S. market can and will continue to meet fire safety standards if deca is phased out.
Learn more about companies leading the way>
4. The bill contains safeguards to ensure that fire standards are not compromised.
The bill requires that a fire safety committee made up of the state Fire Marshal and state fire safety groups review any alternative to deca to determine whether its use will achieve fire safety standards. A ban on deca cannot go into effect unless this committee determines the alternative meets the appropriate fire safety standards.
See PBDE bill details>
5. Eliminating deca will help protect firefighters from toxic byproducts.
When PBDEs burn, highly toxic by-products can form, including brominated dioxins and furans. These by-products are linked to serious health effects, including cancer, diabetes, and reproductive damage. When PBDEs burn they release a corrosive gas called hydrogen bromide, which can impact the lungs.
It's Important to Pass the PBDE Bill Now to Phase-out use of Deca
Phasing out deca sends a strong message to manufacturers that using deca is not acceptable.
With CPSC’s recent action on flammability standards for mattresses and anticipated action on standards for residential upholstered furniture, mattress and furniture manufacturers are making decisions right now on how to meet the flammability standards. Phasing out deca now will prevent the creation of a new market for deca and prevent the further distribution of this dangerous chemical in consumer products.
For televisions and computers, the legislation sets the standard where leaders in the industry have already gone and where others are headed. A number of companies have already phased out the use of deca and are moving to eliminate all brominated flame retardants due to health and environmental concerns. This legislation merely gives the laggards in the industry a generous amount of time to catch up.
Learn more about companies leading the way>
download this information in a fact sheet
Smoking Out the Truth About Deca and Fire Safety (1.8 MB pdf file)
