Abstract

AbstractAs long as 20 years ago the need was considered to extend codes concerned with flammability and/or flame spread, to include combustion toxicity requirements. Due to the lack of suitable toxicity tests at that time, the added code requirements for combustion toxicity were not enforceable. Vinyl resin manufacturers have been cited as purveyors of hazardous materials which, when burned, generate a noxious toxic hazard due to the fumes they produce in a fire. Overlooked are such factors that commercial vinyl products have inherent low ignition and flame spread rates and only generate potentially toxic gases when quantities of other materials burning around them heat the vinyls to the decomposition point. In 1983 New York State commissioned a study by A. D. Little Inc. to assess the feasability of incorporating combustion toxicity requirements into building material and furnishing codes of New York State. This paper summarizes these findings, including evaluation and analysis of the data generated by the two tests selected as best meeting the seven critical criteria. Due to differnt combustion toxicity rankings provided by the two test methods, controversial and confusing interpretations reign. As a result, the author provides a four step set of recommendations.

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