Clothing that can erupt into flames is coming under increasing scrutiny of consumer and fire safety organizations. They say Federal regulations governing the safety of fabrics used in clothing are too weak to protect the people who are most vulnerable: the elderly.
Those who most often suffer serious injury or death from clothing fires, safety experts say, are retired people who spend many hours of the day in such loose-fitting garments as bathrobes or housecoats. With the exception of children’s sleepwear, for which special regulations were decreed in the 1970’s, Federal standards allow clothing manufacturers to use all but the most extremely flammable fabrics.
Plastic fibers can melt to your skin, which isn’t great considering you’re in contact with the seats and carpets of the car. In an emergency, you’re not prepared to deal with additional complications like that.
The article I linked here is pretty good, so I recommend reading it if you aren’t familiar with this issue from back then. It will really help give you the other side of the issue to see why these chemicals are there to begin with.
Synthetic fabrics without flame retardants are basically wearable napalm. You absolutely want flame retardants in your synthetic fabrics because without them if you ever get exposed to a fire you can basically kiss your skin goodbye. If you can’t live with the retardants you better start wearing nothing but 100% cotton clothing. I mean you’ll still burst into flame pretty much instantly like that, but at least it won’t stick to you at the same time.
Natural fibers will still combust with shocking speed without flame retardants, they just won’t stick to you while doing so. From the moment of being exposed to flame to the point at which the entire garment is on fire can be as little as a few seconds. No matter the increased risk I still rather keep the flame retardants, because death from large burns is a nasty way to go.
I think many may now be too young to remember, but in the 70s and 80s, this was a big issue.
NY Times, 11 June, 1983 - DEMAND INCREASES FOR FIRE-SAFE CLOTHING
Plastic fibers can melt to your skin, which isn’t great considering you’re in contact with the seats and carpets of the car. In an emergency, you’re not prepared to deal with additional complications like that.
The article I linked here is pretty good, so I recommend reading it if you aren’t familiar with this issue from back then. It will really help give you the other side of the issue to see why these chemicals are there to begin with.
Synthetic fabrics without flame retardants are basically wearable napalm. You absolutely want flame retardants in your synthetic fabrics because without them if you ever get exposed to a fire you can basically kiss your skin goodbye. If you can’t live with the retardants you better start wearing nothing but 100% cotton clothing. I mean you’ll still burst into flame pretty much instantly like that, but at least it won’t stick to you at the same time.
“That”: your pants become bonded to your skin and the car seat
😬
You mean, in the 70s and 80s it became a big issue because that’s when we started making clothing out of plastic instead of natural fibers.
Natural fibers will still combust with shocking speed without flame retardants, they just won’t stick to you while doing so. From the moment of being exposed to flame to the point at which the entire garment is on fire can be as little as a few seconds. No matter the increased risk I still rather keep the flame retardants, because death from large burns is a nasty way to go.