Bedrooms are the second most common place for a home fire; the kitchen is first. Mattresses and bedding cause almost 21,000 fires annually.It might not be a coincidence that the fatal fire earlier this week in Charlestown, S.C. occurred at a furniture warehouse. Furniture, especially beds, is a serious fire hazard.
Last week the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a new federal mattress standard in an effort to make homes safer.
The change is designed to reduce the number of mattress fires from open-flame sources such as candles and lighters. The agency estimates the new rule could prevent as many as 270 deaths a year. About 360 people die each year from residential mattress fires.
The new performance standard, approved in February 2006, limits the amount of heat released in a mattress fire. A typical mattress will burn in a matter of minutes. The new mattresses burn slower and less intensely, which will give consumers more time to escape a fire.
Safer mattresses will be available after July 1, 2007. Look for the specific label that indicates that the bed meets the new standard.
Now that a standard has been mandated for mattresses, the CPSC will begin to address issues with other furniture in the home.
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/21/earlyshow/contributors/susankoeppen/main2961550.shtml
