Sheila,

As you noticed, this citing comes from a 2012 NFPA meeting where they were discussing some rule changes, and fire blankets were part of the discussion.  I attempted to look it up, but the NFPA website allows non-fee-paying users to see up to the 2011 NFPA version.  Of course NFPA is a non-government entity so unless a fire jurisdiction actually adopts their standards, the standards really just amount to very nice suggestions.  So unless there’s some actual “regulation” out there, it looks like this is about as official as it gets. 

 

I suppose the other way to test out the fire blanket “chimney effect” is on a burn-test dummy.  Dress him up in lab attire, splash some hexane on him, and then catch his lab coat sleeve on fire with a Bunsen burner! 

And the vertically wrap him up using a dusty 20-year-old fire blanket with fleas and moths. 

Eric   

 

[Love these DCHAS Friday discussions.]

 

 

 

Eric,

Thank you. I found this document, but it appears to be a proposed change to the NFPA Guidelines. I couldn’t find if it had ever been officially published/adopted.

It has all the right words, but there’s no point in citing a proposal, is there?

Sheila

 

 

 

This is the National Fire Prevention Association’s opinion on fire blankets:

 

Clothing fires – modify NFPA 45 Annex 6.6.3.2 to add text similar to the following on fire

blankets: Fire blankets may be valuable in labs for a variety of purposes. One of those

does not happen to be wrapping yourself in them to extinguish your clothing fire. In

addition to trapping the heat, the fire blanket creates a chimney effect and directs the

hot, toxic gases, and flames into your face, breathing zone and lungs. Someone else can

get the blanket and use it to help smother the flames. Blankets can also be used for (1)

shower modesty curtains, (2) wraps for after the shower, (3) a temporary stretcher, (4)

to keep someone warm to avoid shock, (5) a pillow if the victim needs to be on the floor,

and (6) to smother other fires.

 

NFPA 45

Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories

Using Chemicals

Minutes – November 15, 2012

 

 

Eric

 

Eric Clark, MS, CHMM, CCHO

Safety Officer, Public Health Scientist III

Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory

 

 

 

The DivCHAS email list talked about this 4 years ago (http://www.ilpi..com/dchas/2010/20100927b.html).

It seemed to me most commenters were in agreement that using a fire blanket to wrap a victim who is standing (with clothes on fire) would likely create a chimney effect, funneling hot gases to the victim’s face. Neal L. said that NFPA had not commented on this – just changed their emphasis from fire blankets to “STOP! - DROP! - ROLL!”

 

Does anyone have a citation for this change?

Do you have blankets in your labs?

What do you teach about fire blankets?

 

It worries me that the vertical fire blanket cabinets are still on the market and I’ve found web pages (including one University safety program and Wikipedia) still teaching the “wrap the standing victim” method.

“Prudent Practices” recommends a fire blanket as a last resort, but doesn’t give much explanation.  

 

Sheila M. Kennedy, C.H.O.

Safety Coordinator | Teaching Laboratories

Chemistry & Biochemistry |University of California, San Diego

9500 Gilman Dr. | La Jolla, CA  92093-0303

(858) 534 – 0221 | fax  (858) 534 – 7687

s1kennedy**At_Symbol_Here**ucsd.edu | http://www-chem.ucsd.edu