Domestic Fire Safety fatal fires & consumer products Margrethe Kobes researcher/advisor.

Domestic Fire Safetyfatal fires & consumer products

Margrethe Kobesresearcher/advisor

Contents

• Fatal domestic fires in the Netherlands– In-depth research approach– Facts & figures

• Fire safety of consumer products– Research topics– Results– Recommendations to national government

• Survey of consumer behaviour by National Prevention Week 2005

Fatal domestic fires – Research approach

• Reports of fatal fires in newspapers– ANP & Alliance for Consumer Fire Safety

Europe (ACFSE)

• Inquiry form to involved fire brigade– Fire cause & fire growth– Object and room of origin– Fire alarms– Personal circumstances (e.g. awake/sleeping,

age)

Fatal domestic fires – Facts & figures

National statistics (CBS): 45 fatalities (?? fires)

Newspapers: 53 fatalities (48 fires)Inquiry forms: 40 fatalities (35 fires)


Source: Nibra.

Fire cause Percentage (N=35) Arson/suicide 28,5

Falling asleep during smoking 26,0 Unknown 14,0 Candles 11,5 Cooking 8,5

Chimney fires 5,5 Clothes nearby heater 3,0

Magnifying glass ignites chair 3,0


Source: Nibra.

Object of origin Percentage (N=35) Unknown 31,5

Bedclothes/mattress 17,0 Upholstered furniture 17,0 Other furniture 11,5 Clothes 8,5

Pan/deep fryer 5,5 Floor covering 3,0 Gas heater 3,0

Papers 3,0


Source: Nibra.

Room of origin Percentage (N=35) Bedroom 34,0 Living room 31,5 Kitchen 14,5

Other/unknown 14,5 Attic 5,5


0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0-5

6-10

11-1

5

16-2

0

21-2

5

26-3

0

31-3

5

36-4

0

41-4

5

46-5

0

51-5

5

56-6

0

61-6

5

66-7

0

71-7

5

76-8

0

81-8

5

86-9

0 ?

age

nu

mb

er o

f fa

tali

ties


Smoke alarm 4 fatalities, 4 fires (suicide 2; smoking 1; unknown 1)

No smoke alarm 32 fatalities, 28 fires

Unknown 4 fatalities, 3 fires

Source: Nibra.

Personal circumstances Percentage (N=40) Sleeping 55,0 Vulnerable 20,0 Awake 7,5

Under influence 7,5 Unknown 10,0

Fire safety of consumer products

Research commisioned by: Food and Consumer Safety Authority

(VWA)Independent agency in Ministry of Agriculture, Nature

and Food Quality (LNV) and will be a delivery agency for Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS)

Aim VWS:To reduce the number of casualties in

domestic fires with 10% in 2006 in comparison with 2001


Research topics:

1. Safety of consumer products related to fires (cause and fire growth)

2. Effectiveness of product related interventions on fire safety (engineering and using behaviour)

Domestic fires – National statistics (CBS)

Source: CBS, revised by Nibra

Causes of domestic fires

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

year

per

cen

tag

e

Consumer products

Unknown

Other

Arson

Fire hazardous activities

Child plays with fire

Spontaneous combustion

Smoking

Firework

Difference between National Statistics and Nibra in-depth research (2000)

Source: Nibra, 2001. Causes and effects of domestic fires. Arnhem.

Statistics domestic fires Nibra 2000 (%) CBS 2000 (%)Cooking 31Defect in consumer product 15Unsafe use of consumer product 9Defect / unsafe use of consumer product 55 35Other 11 23Unknown 13 18Arson 10 14Smoking 4,5 3Fire hazarous activities 3,5 4Child plays with fire 3 3

2/

Oorzaken woningbranden in 2000

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Nibra 2000 CBS 2000

Child plays w ith f ire

Fire hazardous activities

Smoking

Arson

Unknow n

Other

Defect / unsafe use of consumer product(incl. cooking)Unsafe use of consumer product

Defect of consumer product

Cooking

Fire causes in 2000

Difference between National Statistics and Nibra in-depth research (2000)


Fire causes (related to consumer products)

Unsafe using behaviour 45,5%- Cooking 31,0%- Consumer product 4,5%- Candle 4,5%- Smoking 4,5%

Engineering fault 15,0%- Dryer 4,5%- TV 3,5%- Washing machine 2,5%- Cooler/freezer 1,5%

Statistics domestic fires Nibra 2000 (%) DTI 1991-1998 (%)(Electric) cooking 31 38Electric consumer product 15 15Dryer / washing machine 6 6Electric heater 3Electric blancket 1Lights 1TV 3,5 1Cooler / freezer 1,5Other consumer product 3 3

Source: DTI, 2001. Causes of fires involving television sets in dwellings. London, UK.



Restricted flow of air most important cause of fire in clothes dryer (Source: United States Consumer Products Safety Commission & VWA)


Fire growth and fatalities (related to consumer products)

Upholstered furniture (20%) and mattresses (3%)cause of fatality: - falling asleep during smoking- falling asleep in room with burning candles

Furniture in kitchen (12%)cause of fatality:- water in pan with burning fat- clothes ignited during cooking


Expert opinion concerning governmental intervention policy

Members of expert panel:- KEMA Quality BV- Consumer and Safety (Consument en Veiligheid)- Alliance for Consumer Fire Safety Europe (ACFSE)- Food and Consumer Safety Authority (VWA)- TNO Building and Construction Research, Centre for Fire Research- Delft University, RiskCentre- Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences


Conclusions and recommendations (1)

Safety of consumer products mostly important regarding fire growth and smoke development

USA and UK regulations concerning fire retardants are effective

Domestic sprinklers are good alternative for utilization of fire retardants



One third of fires in kitchens, caused by cooking. Further research on (1) fire safe design of furniture and cooker hood, (2) utilization of sprinklers in kitchens



Evaluation of behaviour related policy interventies needed

Fire investigation by fire brigades needed for goal-oriented policy-making, see USA and UK

Difference between National Statistics and in-depth research Detailed information needed about engineering faults and unsafe behaviour related to consumer products

Fire Prevention Week 2005

Results of survey under 500 households

(source: NBPW, 2005)

16% never cleans dust filter of dryer 50% never cleans air exhaust pipe of dryer

1 out of 3 households does not every 3 months replace fat filter in cooker hoot


Results of survey under 500 households

(source: NBPW, 2005)

1 out of 10 persons places burning object on or nearby tv


Results of survey under 500 households (source: NBPW, 2005)

One third of households does not have smoke alarms Reasons:

lazyness / never thought about it 58 %not nessecary 21 %to expensive 12 %do not know where to buy 6 %to ugly 3 %

Thanks for your attention

Domestic Fire Safety fatal fires & consumer products Margrethe Kobes researcher/advisor.

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