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Stories by G. Wayne Miller and
Peter B. Lord | The Providence Journal
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A four-part series on the
dangers of polyurethane foam in our homes
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The Providence Journal commissions
a fire laboratory in Washington state to burn a bed -- and the results
demonstrate the ferocity of household fires involving polyurethane foam.
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Mattresses and bedding sold in
America could be safer, but the federal government so far has not required
tougher national flammability standards. The technology exists to make
our beds safer, but the government and industry have been slow to embrace
it.
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Upholstered furniture fires killed
17,108 Americans from 1980 through 1998, the latest year for which complete
figures are available. Most of the upholstered furniture sold today contains
some polyurethane foam, which burns intensely and releases gases that
can quickly render a person unconscious.
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Polyurethane foam, used to soundproof
The Station nightclub stage, is everywhere in American homes -- in upholstered
furniture and mattresses, in pillows and carpet padding. When foam catches
fire, it can kill with deadly speed. Yet many of us are unaware of its
dangers.
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Burning bed test video
