Evaluation of the likelihood of flashover in room fires involving a flat screen TV and the effect of flame retardant treatment of the casing

Abstract

AbstractA study was performed to determine through computer fire modeling up to what extent a room fire in which a flat screen television is the first major item ignited is more likely to result in flashover if the television casing is not treated with flame retardants. This was accomplished by quantifying the risk of flashover in a living room or bedroom due to a fire in which a flat screen television is the first major item ignited, and by calculating the ratio of the risk measures for televisions with untreated casing versus those with flame retardant treated casing. This ratio is an indication of the increased likelihood of flashover should flame retardant treated television casings be replaced with untreated casings. The results of the risk quantification indicate that living room fires initiated with a flat screen television are between 4.2 and 15.2 times more likely to result in flashover when the casing is not treated with flame retardants compared to a flame retardant treated television. For fires in the (master) bedroom, the relative likelihood is between 4.1 and 15.5. The relative likelihood of flashover is slightly lower for apartments than for single family homes. The calculated ratio varies depending on the assumed probability that the ignition source is sufficiently severe to ignite a television with flame retardant treated casing.