Flame Retardants Ensure Safer Buildings

Flame retardants are used in building materials and products to meet important fire safety standards and codes. Flame retardants are designed to stop or slow the spread of fire, and provide critical escape time.

Q: What are the protective benefits of flame retardants?

A: Flame retardants play a unique role in fire prevention and fire safety. They not only prevent fires from starting, but if a fire does occur, they slow down the spread of the fire and improve the opportunity for safe escape. Their role in delaying flashover, for example, is especially critical to escaping the deadly consequences of fire. Flashover occurs when every flammable object in a room bursts into flames at the same time as a result of a combination of intense heat and the release of flammable gases. This can occur in just a few minutes, and flame retardants’ function in slowing this process down can be the difference between life and death.

The benefits of flame retardants are well documented in studies and in real life examples.

Flame Retardants Provide Important Layer of Protection For Furnishings

The addition of flame retardants to furnishings allows them to meet important fire safety standards and requirements designed to keep the public safe.  When Flame retardants are added to fabrics and fillings, they work to help reduce the rate at which they burn and can prevent a fire from spreading.

Turning Star opened in 1998 with the goal of simplifying the flame retardant process for theatre professionals.  Very soon after we became a member of USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology), as our mission aligned with theirs: helping the current and next generation of technical theater professionals maintain a comprehensive and responsible safety plan that incorporates best practices for the flame retardant treatment of soft goods, props, and sets, and certification of fire retardancy for their venues, shows, and events.