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FLAMMABLE FABRICS
September 2, 2022
Amber Prince

DEFEND AGAINST ARSON
October 31, 2019
Govspec

FLAMMABLE PLASTICS
May 15, 2019
Amber Prince

Flammable Plastics

Posted by Amber Prince • Posted on May 15, 2019

NEW NATIONAL FIRE CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR POTENTIALLY FLAMMABLE PLASTICS
  • Children’s Play Areas
  • Plastic Balls in Children’s Romper Rooms
  • Plastic Decorations and Plants
  • Foam Plastics
  • Exhibit Booths

Detailed Fire Product Listing and Test Summary Follows

PRODUCTS TO BE TESTEDMaximum Heat Release
Materials that are hung from walls or ceilings100 kW
Exposed foam plastics used for decorative purposes100 kW
Stage scenery or exhibit booth100 kW
Decorative artificial vegetation100 kW

Children’s play structures:

  • Foam plastic
  • Romper room plastic balls
  • Foam plastics used in signs
  • 100 kW
  • 100 kW
  • 150 kW

Exhibits:

  • Flame retardant materials
  • Foamed plastics
  • Cardboard honeycombed paper & other combustible materials
  • 100 kW
  • 100 kW
  • 150 kW
Mannequins, murals, signs, etc.150 kW

For test information, refer to the summarized fire test which follows.

SUMMARIZED FIRE TEST:

Scope/Purpose of Test

To reduce the fire hazard of plastic materials that might be prevalent in areas where large groups of people are assembled.

Brief Description of Test

The test item sits on a barrier-protected weigh cell. The configuration of the test item is product dependent. Some examples are shown by the accompanying sketches.

The 20-kW gas burner is ignited for a period of 15 minutes. The effluent of the burning test item flows through a ducting system which allows for the measurement of the amount of heat and smoke given off by the test item.

Mass lost is measured by the weigh cell.

Measured Fire Properties
  • Ignition Time
  • Approximate Location of the Flame Front Most Distant from the Ignition Source
  • Maximum Heat Release
  • Total Heat Release
  • Maximum Smoke Release
  • Total Smoke Release
  • Mass Loss
  • Burning Time of Flaming Debris or Droplets on the Weigh Cell Barrier

Reference: NFPA 289 – Standard Method of Fire Test for Individual Fuel Packages

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