Consumer safety

When people buy household items such a sofa or a TV set and bring them into their home, they usually do not think of them as a fire risk. However, many consumer products are made of, or contain, flammable substances such as plastics and synthetic fibers. If they are not protected by flame retardants, they will ignite more easily and can set a room on fire in minutes. Flame Retardants are in many circumstances the most effective chemical substance to prevent ignition or a fire from developing and make sure that consumer products are fire resistant, thus contributing to saving lives every day.

Fire testing results

For more details and images, click on the items listed below

European TV Low-level ignition source (Methenamine tablet) (TV contains practically no flame retardants)	Time (min/sec) 0:08	Time (min/sec) 7:23	Time (min/sec) 8:00-9:00
American TV Low-level ignition source (Methenamine tablet) (TV is flame-retarded)	Time (min/sec) 0:05	Time (min/sec) 1:40	Time (min/sec) 1:45
American TV Low-level ignition source (Candle) (TV is flame-retarded)	Time (min/sec) 4:00	Time (min/sec) 5:00	Time (min/sec) 5:05
American TV High-level ignition source (Isopropyl alcohol) (Flame-retarded)	Time (min/sec) -0:10	Time (min/sec) 0:04	Time (min/sec) 3:00
Old European TV versus new (New is not necessarily safer!)	Time (min/sec) 1:57	Time (min/sec) 2:10	Time (min/sec) 2:22
Upholstered sofa (Not flame-retarded)	Time (min/sec) 0:00	Time (min/sec) 1:41	Time (min/sec) 4:48

European TV
Low-level ignition source
(Methenamine tablet)
(TV contains practically no flame retardants)