Guard against fire

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 16

Guard against fire

Six year old Paul Wilkins lies in a burns isolation ward at Burwood Hospital after suffering serious burns to 30 . per cent ,of his body. His dressing gown had caught fire While he was poking / the embers jof an open fire. His father said “The dressing gown did not bum it exploded.” Kathy Mitchell of Palmerston ' North has just spent six weeks in Lower Hutt hospital with extensive burns to the lower half of her body, and her arms. She is likely to be there for another six weeks before she can. leave and when she does, she will be badly scarred and probably on crutches. Her new,- Indian cotton print skirt ■■ ignited as she was standing in front of the fire- at home. She was ablaze to the waist in a matter of seconds, her family reported: “It was as if someone had poured petrol bn her.”.; ’ These are j just two examples of the many innocent children each year who suffer severe burns while wearing flammable clothing. Why do we buy high fire-risk clothing? Is labelling adequate? Should such clothing be sold? ' ' We do have legislation to help the consumer in one area of clothing purchase. The 1979 Safety of Children’s; Nightwear Act makes it illegal for manufacturers to make children’s nightdresses and nightgowns . from flammable fabrics. Materials .must .comply with thq New Zealand - Standard 8704 which ensures they are low Tire-risk.

Unless pyjamas are

made from' similar low fire-risk materials, their ' design must accord with the. specifications of New Zealand Standard 8705. This standard controls the width measurements of legs, sleeves and jackets, From January this year it became illegal for retailers to sell children’s nightwear that does not comply with these standards. Yet such “illegal" nightwear is still being sold; Enforcement of the Act does not appear to be as strict as it should. And we, as consumers, are perhaps being less discerning than we might. What of children’s daytime clothing? There is no legislation to protect us here. We must rely on commonsense and knowledge of fabrics. In the last few weeks there have been three reports of severe burnings when cotton or cotton-mix skirts came into contact with heaters or open fires. Light-weight,, loose weave cottons are likely to be highly flammable, and if the. material is a cottonsynthetic mixture it can melt as it burns, sticking to the skin as it does so. , Molleton cloth is another highly flammable fabric,. Young Paul. Wil,kins’s dressing gown was made of molleton cloth

and became a ball of fire in a matter of seconds. : ; In fact, most fabrics with a raised surface like acrylic pile and brushed r cotton (winceyette) .can catch fire very easily? Yet these cottons and synthetics or cotton-synthetic, mixtures are the most commonly bought fabrics for children’s clothing. They are inexpensive and they are warm and soft. In summer, they would be safe, but in winter they are suspect because of the use of fires and heaters in the home. What can you .do to minimise the chances of your child suffering severe burns? -./ Buy., only .: children’s nightwear labelled Svith the relevant standard, 1.e., NZS 8704 or NZS 8705. If you find nightwear on sale that does . not conform to any of these standards, inform the Department of Trade'and Industry. .Choose garments that are made of low fabrics wool or a woolblend, dr firmly woven, heavier cottons. Select garments that are not loose and billowing, especially in the case of little girls’ dresses. ■ Long frilly skirts may be cute, but if made of a flammable material they are potential fire hazards. Provide adequate guards in front of the fire. Make sure your heater is equipped with a safe grill. Educate your child not to stand right in front of the fire. Fortunately it is <no longer fashionable to /have a mirror over the fireplace. That was a potential death trap. The Citizens’ Advice Bureau tells us it welcomes calls at its two suburban offices. The Hornby bureau’s number is 495-236; It is in the <■ Community Car Centre, in Goulding Avenue, and has regular visits from several helping agencies. The Bishopdale bureau number is 598-090.