CLOTHING

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MAIN (Return to Top)

1. Do you know what to do if your clothes catch on fire?
   The best thing to do if your clothes are on fire is to stop, drop to the ground, and roll across the ground or floor. Running gives the fire more oxygen and keeps it going. If you see someone whose clothes are on fire, tell them to stop, drop and roll. While the person is rolling, cover the person with a blanket or rug to help smother the flames. Then seek professional medical help.

2. Do you wear clothing with short or close-fitting sleeves while you are cooking?
   Roll back long, loose sleeves or fasten them with pins or elastic bands while you are cooking. Long sleeves are more likely to catch fire than are short sleeves. Long sleeves are also more apt to catch pot handles, overturning pots and pans and causing scalds.

3. Do you consider fiber content and fabric construction for safety purposes when purchasing wearing apparel?
   Consider fabrics such as 100% polyester, nylon, wool and silk that are difficult to ignite and tend to self extinguish. Look at fabric construction. Tight weaves or knits and fabrics without fuzzy or napped surfaces are less likely to ignite and burn rapidly than open knits or weaves, or fabrics with brushed or piled surfaces.

4. Do you purchase garments for children that are intended for sleepwear since they are made to be flame resistant?
   Consider the flammability of certain fabrics containing cotton, cotton/polyester blends, rayon, and acrylic. These are relatively easy to ignite and burn rapidly. Follow the manufacturer's care and cleaning instructions on products labeled "flame resistant" to ensure that their flame resistant properties are maintained.

5. When purchasing clothing for the elderly, disabled or impaired members of your family, do you make sure it carries the fire resistant label?
   Check the labels the same way you would for children. It is estimated that 70% of all people who die from clothing fires are over 65 years of age, principally from nightwear (robes, pajamas, nightgowns). Consider purchasing garments that can be removed without having to pull them over the head. Clothes that are easily removed can help prevent serious burns. If a garment can be quickly stripped off when it catches fire, injury will be far less severe or avoided altogether.

ADDITIONAL TIPS (Return to Top)

• Small open flames, including matches, cigarette lighters, and candles are the major sources of clothing ignition. These are followed by ranges (reaching over or climbing onto to get something stored above), open fires (standing too close to a fireplace or campfire) and space heaters.
• The most commonly worn garments that are associated with clothing ignition injuries are pajamas, nightgowns, robes, shirt/blouses, pants/slacks and dresses.

FEDERAL SAFETY RULES (Return to Top)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission sets national safety standards for the flammability of children's sleepwear. These are designed to protect children if they should come in contact with an open flame. Under the new federal safety rules, garments sold as children's sleepwear for sizes larger than nine months must be:

• Flame resistant - flame resistant garments do not continue burning when removed from an ignition source. They include flame resistant polyesters that do not require chemical treatment.

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