Mattresses provide people with a comfy, warm, relaxing place for you and I to rest our bodies after a hard day of work. This easy to purchase piece of furniture could be a silent killer waiting to pounce.
Although this may be dramatic, we now have your attention.
Silentnight Mattress Awarness
In the United Kingdom alone, deaths due to bed fires still rank as the primary cause of fire-related loss of life. Because of this, it is important for people to know whether their mattresses are made from fire retardant materials.
The Statistics Do Not Lie
This finding is supported by the latest statistics collected by the Department of Local Government and Communities. It also reinforces the importance of consumers being vigilant in the mattresses that they buy. Fires that started in bedrooms accounted for nearly one in ten of the total 37,061 total fire accidents that occurred in dwellings.
At the same time, they claim a much higher proportion of deaths. Out of the 37,061 fires reported, there were a total of 244 deaths. What is disturbing is that bedroom fires accounted for 28.7 percent of these fatalities. This death count is only exceeded by fires that started in living rooms.
Additionally, bedroom fires claim a much higher ratio of non-fatal injuries than those that were started in other rooms. There were 351 bedroom fires for every 1,000 blazes compared to 292 per 1,000 for dining room, living room and lounge fires and 201 per 1,000 fires that started in a kitchen.
A Deadly Demonstration
Although many people ignored these simple findings, Silentnight conducted a demonstration that shows that fatalities are increased if people do not choose the right mattress. This demonstration compares the main difference found in a controlled burn test of a compliant fire mattress to a non-compliant mattress that can be easily bought in retail outlets nationwide.
It also shows that a compliant mattress fails to ignite while a non-compliant one sets alight relatively easily. What is disturbing is that a bedroom is filled with deadly toxins that could kill its inhabitants within three minutes. After seven minutes, these rooms are completely in flames.
Given that the usual time for a firefighter to reach a home is nine minutes, the deadly consequences become quite clear. A mattress that does not conform to fire-safety standards is a risk for people who are buying them.
A Death Trap
Due to this, some people are now wondering whether their mattresses are a death trap. This is also an issue that the industry should not shy away from. At the same time, it requires urgent action in order to make sure that British consumers are not unknowingly being placed at risk.
Because of this, some companies such as Silentnight have taken matters into their own hands. These companies invested heavily in putting the utmost importance on quality. At the same time, they have performed a total of 977 flammability tests on incoming raw materials.
To make sure that their products are safe for use by the general public, these companies also conducted 2778 flammability tests on their finished mattresses. At the same time, a fire test certification is retained for all mattress models that is available for retailer inspection.
Unique Properties
Fire resistant mattresses contain unique properties that help them to withstand fire. One of these properties is a fire-barrier system that is made from a combination of synthetic and natural fibers. These materials help isolate the impact of a fire. At the same time, it resists the fire’s spread into the mattress.
It also has a high melting point as well as rigid dimensional stability that is well maintained especially at high temperature levels. Aside from that, it contains keratin. Keratin is an element that has a very high flash point. This makes it an important component in manufacturing mattresses that are fire resistant.
The Bottom Line
Fire-resistant mattresses are the best tools for a person to get their well-needed sleep. Aside from that, they have properties that can resist fires in case one occurs. With these properties, people are given the crucial time to escape and call for help.
Mattress News
Seven Mattress Myths Exposed when buying a new Mattress
With a third of most people's lives being spent asleep, a new mattress is a very important purchase. However, making that purchase is not an easy task given the wide array of choices available at the average furniture store, let alone the choices available online. Not everyone will have the budget for the latest and best in mattress technology, how then are they to make a choice? There are lots of myths out there about mattresses, many of which are from salespeople; in order to find the right mattress within one's budget, it is necessary to know what these myths are and the truth about what makes for a good night's sleep
Simon Johnson is dedicated to the Perfect Nights Sleep at My Next Mattress
