Tuesday 10 September 2013

Flame Retardants: Friend Or Foe?

In an unfortunate case of a fire consuming a home, you would hope that your furniture would not help the spread of the fire. This is why flame retardants on furniture items are practical. Unfortunately, a chemical used as a flame retardant on furniture pieces like sofas can also cause cancer.

The chemical identified as chlorinated Tris (TDCPP) was also banned on children’s pajamas in the 70s because of its carcinogenic nature. The ban though does not apply to its use as a flame retardant. This means that in making our home safer, we are also adding health risks to our homes. So what does it mean to us furniture buyers?

In the state of California, sellers are required by law to warn buyers that a product contains carcinogenic chemicals in the form of flame retardants. This means that the answer lies in your hands. Are you willing to take a chance with fire or your health?

We know that it is unfair and we are therefore urging chemical companies to come up with a chemical that would be as effective as a flame retardant and at the same time be safe for our health. Metal and glass furniture are safe though so it may be about time that we consider them more than other alternatives. How about you? What do you think we can do in the face of this problem? We’d love to hear what you have to say.