The exact number of clothing fires that happen while a person is wearing the clothing in the U.S. is unavailable because of the way data are collected. The National Electronic
Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) compiles consumer product injury data based on reports from emergency rooms and health care facilities.
NEISS estimated that nationwide 196,233 injuries (including11,115 deaths) were associated with clothing in 2001, with 69.7 the rate per 100,000 population
(1). However, not all of these are from clothing fires because cases of entanglement,suffocation, strangling, etc. are counted in these totals.Nevertheless, when clothing catches fire, the burn injuries are often severe and may cause death. An example reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the case of a 69-year-old man whose robe sleeve caught fire as he removed toast from an electric toaster.The terry-cloth robe burned quickly,also burning the man. Although the fire was extinguished, the man died four days later.
(2) According to the CPSC, “a significant number” of clothing fires occur with people over age 65.The U.S. Fire Administration points out that 80 percent of fire deaths occur in residences and that these residential fires most often start in the kitchen. People over 65 and children under 5 have the highest risk of fire death in these fires but the number of these involving a clothing fire was not indicated
(3). Working smoke alarms dramatically increase the person’s chance of surviving a residential fire.
The use and availability of flame-resistant (FR) clothing has become much more common due to the continued development and updating of industry safety regulations and voluntary performance standards. NFPA 70E, a national consensus standard that establishes safety guidelines for workers exposed to electrical hazards, is a prime example. 70E has driven changes across numerous businesses and facilities where employees access electrical systems and energized components. Many sites contain a variety of electrical work hazards, illustrating the increasing call for FR clothing.
The use and availability of flame-resistant (FR) clothing has become much more common due to the continued development and updating of industry safety regulations and voluntary performance standards. NFPA 70E, a national consensus standard that establishes safety guidelines for workers exposed to electrical hazards, is a prime example. 70E has driven changes across numerous businesses and facilities where employees access electrical systems and energized components. Many sites contain a variety of electrical work hazards, illustrating the increasing call for FR clothing.