SAFETY-FIRE PREVENTION-AT HOME!

*Fire safety in the American home can be greatly enhanced by following any and/or all of the following recommendations.
Note: Most American homes are filled materials and products that will burn quickly if ignited, to include upholstered furniture, mattresses and bedding, wearing apparel, drapery fabrics, and flammable liquids such as gasoline and volatile solvents that cause many devastating fires each year.

UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
(Recommendations)

1. Look for furniture designed to reduce the likelihood of furniture fire from cigarettes. Much of the furniture manufactured today has significantly greater resistance to ignition by cigarettes, etc. than upholstered furniture that was manufactured 10 to 15 years ago. This is particularly true of furniture manufactured to comply with the requirements of the Upholstered Furniture Action Council's (UFAC) Voluntary Action Program, which may be identified by the gold colored tag on the furniture item. The legend on the front of the tag in red letters states "Important Consumer Safety Information from UFAC."

2. Always check the furniture where smokers have been sitting for improperly discarded smoking materials. Ashes and lighted cigarettes can fall unnoticed behind or between cushions or under furniture.

3. Do not place or leave ashtrays on the arms of chairs where they can be knocked off.

4. Look for fabrics made predominantly from thermo-plastic fibers (nylon, polyester, acrylic, olefin) because they resist ignition by burning cigarettes better than cellulosic fabrics (rayon or cotton). In general, the higher the thermoplastic content, the greater the resistance to cigarette ignition.

MATTRESSES and BEDDING
(Recommendations)

1. DO NOT smoke in bed, because smoking in bed is a major cause of accidental fire deaths in homes, and should therefore be avoided.

2. Locate heaters or other fire sources at least three feet away from the bed to prevent the bed from catching on fire.

3. Consider replacing your old mattress with a new one, especially if you are a smoker, because
mattresses manufactured since 1973 are required to resist cigarette ignition.

WEARING APPAREL
(Recommendations)

1. Consider purchasing fabrics such as 100% polyester, nylon, wool and silk that are difficult to ignite and tend to self extinguish.

2. Consider the flammability of certain fabrics containing cotton, cotton/polyester blends, rayon, and acrylic, which are relatively easy to ignite and burn rapidly.

3. Look at fabric construction, which also affects ignitability, because tight weaves or knits and fabrics without a fuzzy or napped surface are less likely to ignite and burn rapidly than open knits or weaves, or fabrics with brushed or piled surfaces.

4. Consider purchasing garments that can be removed without having to pull them over the head, because clothes that can be more easily removed can help prevent serious burns.
Note: If a garment can be quickly stripped off when it catches fire, injury will be far less severe or avoided altogether.

5. Follow manufacturer's care and cleaning instructions on products labeled "flame resistant" to ensure that their flame resistant properties are maintained.

FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
(Recommendation)

1. Take extra precautions in storing and using flammable liquids, such as gasoline, paint thinners, etc. because they produce invisible explosive vapors that can ignite by a small spark at considerable distances from the flammable substance.
2. If possible, store all flammable liquids outside of and somewhat removed from the house.

Note: Additional information on this and other subjects may be obtained by connecting to http://www.consumer.gov/ .