Bedroom safety goes beyond fire-resistant mattress
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, July 29, 2007
High Point — There is more to bedroom safety than just purchasing a new fire-resistant mattress, leading bedding producers say.
They note that the introduction of new fire-resistant mattresses gives consumers more time to escape from a bedroom fire, but said people need to take additional safety steps as well. It is particularly important, producers say, to involve children.
"Children often run the risk of playing with fire, and likely will do so in the privacy of a bedroom," said Al Klancnik, Serta's group vice president. "One way to deter the often fatal effects of a bedroom fire is to own a flame-retardant mattress. It's also as imperative that parents talk to their children about the importance of fire safety."
Serta said it has been at the forefront of FR compliance since the introduction of its FireBlocker system in January 2005. Klancnik said it's possible to talk about the new FR protection in a positive way.
"While most consumers do not want to think about the possibility of a bedroom fire when shopping for a mattress," he said, "it is important that they know they are purchasing a product that has been manufactured with their safety in mind. When Serta introduced FireBlocker technology in 2005, it was a very positive move for us because we were able to offer our consumers the quality mattresses they expected from our brand while providing them with an added measure of safety."
Serta said consumers should know that the new FR standard may save hundreds of lives and prevent nearly 1,330 injuries per year. That is one of several consumer safety messages the company recently underscored in a press release to the media.
Another producer offering tips for sleeping safely is Simmons. While the new CPSC standard and the addition of protective FR barriers are beneficial measures, the company said, mattresses are not the source of fires.
"Relying solely on a fire-resistant mattress may create a false sense of security," said Tim Oakhill, executive vice president of marketing at Simmons. "Commonsense precautions can help to protect people from fires, including those that start in the bedroom."
Simmons offers what it calls Five Tips for Safe Sleep:
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Smoke detectors really do save lives. In 62% of mattress-related fires, smoke alarms were either not present or not functioning.
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Have an escape plan. The U.S. Fire Administration reported that 68% of the injuries and 14% of the fatalities in mattress-related fires were caused by people trying to put out fires.
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Start protecting your children when they are small. When shopping for clothes for young children, look for items with flame-resistant labels or those made of less flammable fabrics.
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Be careful with fire, even if you are an adult. At an early age, teach young children about the hazards of fire. Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children, ideally securing them in a locked location. Don't smoke in bed. Extinguish all burning candles before going to sleep or exiting a room.
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Apply care with appliances. Ensure that you use only lab-approved electric blankets and warmers with cords that aren't frayed. Bedding, curtains and clothing should always be at least three feet from portable heaters. Don't let electrical cords get caught between mattresses and walls where they can heat up bedding.
Also offering fire safety tips is Sealy. It said that the U.S. Fire Administration offers these tips to reduce home fires:
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Do not smoke in bed.
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Place heaters at least three feet from the bed.
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Keep lit candles away from bedding, curtains and papers.
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Do not run electrical cords under your bed or trap them against a wall where heat can build up.
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Use only UL-approved electric blankets and warmers.
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Simmons upgrades Web site
Jan 27, 2008 -
Serta educates consumers about FR lines
Jan 29, 2004
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