NEWS
Three times more wildfires in Europe this year
The European Commission’s (JRC Copernicus) European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) indicates that the number of wildfires occurring in the EU in 2019 (to mid August) was three times higher than the average (for the same months) for the decade 2008-2018.
READ MOREScientists scrutinise phosphorus FRs
Arlene Blum, Heather Stapleton and several other scientists from six universities in North America have published a paper comparing toxicity and exposure of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) to brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Firstly, total levels of OPFRs in water and air are compared to total PBDEs, showing to be generally higher.
READ MORENIST tests of furniture fire barriers published
Cone calorimeter tests carried out by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology into effectiveness of barrier fabrics in furniture are now published.
READ MOREEEA says plastics recycling needs action
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published two Briefings on “Resource Efficiency and Waste”, one of which specifically targets plastics recycling.
READ MORENGO questions “chemical recycling” of plastics
The environmental NGO Zero Waste Europe has published a position paper on “chemical recycling” of plastics. The NGO’s position is that chemical recycling does have “a role to play in closing the material loop and moving … up the waste hierarchy”, but that policy priorities should be firstly to reduce and reuse, and secondly to mechanical recycling.
READ MOREAdditives enabling plastics upcycling
Unlike post-industrial plastics recycling, dealing with known and homogenous materials, post consumer recycling (PCR) poses challenges because the feedstream is variable and contains a mixture of different polymers and additives, with differing processing characteristics (rheology).
READ MOREFurniture fire safety
Konrad Wilkens Flecknoe-Brown, DBI (Danish Institute of Fire & Security Technology), presented fire tests of polyurethane slabs (1.2m x 0.6m x 50mm), showing that flame spread, time to peak heat release, and peak heat release rate are all very variable and dependent on the point of ignition (edge and corner effects).
READ MOREConference paper prize winners interviews
Most of the current fire safety solutions were developed in response to and based on fire accidents that occurred in the past, often some time ago.
READ MORETomorrow’s fire safety applications
Brian Lattimer, Jensen Hughes (now with Virginia Tech), USA, summarised challenges for fire safety requirements in railways in the USA.
READ MOREEnvironment and health challenges for fire fighters
Margaret Macnamee, Lund University, presented the Fire Impact Tool (developed from the ENVECO tool), to provide decision support and training information to firefighters on LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) and ERA (local Environmental Risk Assessment) related to different fire interventions.
READ MOREInterview / vision – Colleen Wade, best paper award
The predictability of heavy timber (or mass timber) structures in fire is often given as a benefit, and while this is generally true in relation to standard fire resistance tests, it is not necessarily the case in real fire events.
READ MORENew fire safety challenges for wood products
Presentations noted the strong growth potential of wood-based materials, as a sustainable and ‘desirable’ construction material, but also the specific fire safety challenges to address.
READ MORENeed for integrated approach to fire safety
Patrick Van Hees, Lund University, underlined that fire safety is increasingly complex, with new materials and evolving building design, so that reliance on past fire scenarios is inadequate.
READ MOREFaçade fires and consequences of Grenfell
A recurrent theme at Interflam was follow-up from the Grenfell Tower fire catastrophe. (14 June 2017). Despite previous occurrences of fires in high-rise building exterior cladding, it seems this disaster was necessary for regulators to take action.
READ MOREInterflam 2019
The 40th “Interflam” conference (organiser: Interscience) was organised at the Royal Holloway College campus, University of London, UK, 1st – 3rd July 2019.
READ MOREEU RoHS Directive consultation
The European Commission has opened (to 6 December 2019) a public consultation on “evaluation of restrictions” on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC).
READ MOREEU consultation on POPs
The European Commission has opened a public consultation, to 11th November 2019, on the EU Implementation Plan under the Stockholm Convention (POPs – Persistent Organic Pollutants).
READ MORECanada Government assessment of trixylyl phosphate
Canada’s federal Department of the Environment submitted for public consultation (closed 11th September 2019) an assessment of three phosphorus chemicals, including trixylyl phosphate which can be used as a flame retardant in e.g. lubricants, plastics, wires and cables, and two other phosphorus chemicals used in cosmetics and food packaging plastics.
READ MOREEU consultation on microplastics restriction
The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) launched a public consultation, closed 20th September 2019, on a proposed restriction on “intentionally added microplastics”.
READ MOREEU tender for facade fire performance testing
The European Commission has opened a tender, to 8th November 2019 (16h), to finalise the European harmonised fire test (“alternative method” of assessment) for building façade products.
READ MOREpinfa will join panel on recycling at FRiP 2019
pinfa and Flame Retardants Europe will participate in the special panel discussion on recycling and recyclability of flame retardant containing plastics, at the annual AMI ‘Flame Retardants in Plastics’ (FRiP) Conference, Cologne, Germany, 3-5 December 2019.
READ MORENew French regulations for tall building fire safety
The French Government has promulgated two decrees updating fire safety requirements for façade materials used in residential buildings of < 50 m height.
READ MOREData base of hazardous chemicals in articles
ECHA (European Chemical Agency) has published the information requirements for the data base of articles containing chemicals on the REACH “Candidate List” of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).
READ MOREICC rejects push for non fire safe foams in foundations
The (North American) International Code Council, meeting in August in Albuquerque, rejected a proposal to allow non flame retarded polystyrene foam in foundations, where it is underneath a concrete slab of at least 3 ½ inches.
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