Avatar photo

Contributor

Author Bio ▼

Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
February 11, 2016

Download

Whitepaper: Enhancing security, resilience and efficiency across a range of industries

Infographic: Did You Know These Fire Safety Facts?

Did you know that washing machines are more likely to burn down your home than any other appliance?

That’s just one of the unnerving, reassuring, or simply fascinating facts from the infographic below, based on a fire safety quiz held by FIREX International.

 

Print

The survey used to create this infographic was conducted in 2014 and this infographic was one of the most popular pieces of content on IFSEC Global that year.

2023 Fire Safety eBook – Grab your free copy!

Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.

Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.

FireSafetyeBook-CoverPage-23

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
19 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ashfire
Ashfire
January 23, 2014 12:42 pm

Did you know Sprinklers do nothing below an operational temerature of 68 degrees and then only 95% effective

Ashfire
Ashfire
January 23, 2014 12:45 pm

A woman died from smoke inhalation in a fully sprinklered room in a Care home! What out Wales! 

Adam Bannister
Adam Bannister
January 24, 2014 4:53 am
Reply to  Ashfire

I didn’t know that. So sprinklers are from being 100% reassuring in a fire situation…

XL700 Mike
XL700 Mike
January 24, 2014 5:29 am

The sprinkler figure given does not match other commonly quoted facts on this subject. What is the source for it? Failure rate of a head is often given as 1 in 14 million. Even summed up across a large array, this could not reach 5%, which is effectively what ‘only 95% reliable’ implies. I do not think insurers would gamble on such poor odds. Fire doors used as cross corridor smoke break doors only need to meet 20 minutes fire resistance. Few manufacturers bother to make 20 minute units, as it is the rare application, so 30 minutes are used… Read more »

SunitaT
SunitaT
January 29, 2014 12:26 pm

It is kind of a surprise that washing machines are the most likely appliances to cause fire. One would have guessed some other more intensive electrical appliance instead. I wonder what are the reasons for washing machines being most likely to set the house on fire? Detailed information about this fact would be useful.

SunitaT
SunitaT
January 29, 2014 12:26 pm

@ XL700 Mike, this is some serious difference in figures. One in 14 million makes it only 0.000007 percent which is not even a fraction of 5 percent. Your figures make sprinklers quite reliable. Regarding the question of operational temperature of sprinklers, I think 68 degrees should not be a problem at a place on fire.
 

wainy
wainy
January 31, 2014 5:05 am
Reply to  Ashfire

Hi Ashfire
I was not aware there had been a fatal incident in a residential premises, do you have any further details?
Thanks 

wainy
wainy
January 31, 2014 5:18 am
Reply to  SunitaT

Hi
where is the statistic taken from that sprinklers are 95% reliable?

Hochiki_Europe_Marketing
Hochiki_Europe_Marketing
January 31, 2014 11:24 am
Reply to  SunitaT

Sunita, it’s the combination of a heating element (to heat the water), friction (from the drum spinning) and build-up of fluff (fibres from the clothes).

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:10 pm
Reply to  Ashfire

– astonishing information on sprinklers I never knew that it only operate above 68 degrees and that’s just 95% effective.

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:12 pm
Reply to  Ashfire

– I assume that’s because the fire was kept low by the sprinklers but the smoke filled the room with poisonous gases which were trapped in the room which might have choked her to death.

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:13 pm
Reply to  Adam Bannister

– I too was under the impression that we could trust sprinklers 100% in case of a fire. 

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:15 pm
Reply to  XL700 Mike

@XL700 Mike – yes surely insurance firms will have problems with this figure, but I’m sure experts know what they are talking about.

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:16 pm
Reply to  SunitaT

@SunitaT- I read on another article that washing machines were the most dangerous appliances at home as it would easily cause fire. You could never image a washing machine causing a fire. 

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:18 pm
Reply to  SunitaT

@SunitaT- Do we need to have a blazing fire for the sprinklers to turn or? Or would an average heat turn it on?

shehan
shehan
January 31, 2014 2:19 pm

@Hochiki- thanks for explaining how it happens. Is this the same for front load and top load washing machines? 

Ashfire
Ashfire
February 3, 2014 9:29 am
Reply to  shehan

No Shehan
 
The Sprinklers did not operate and stayed imoperative whilst the smoulder developed between ambient and 68 Degrees.
That is the reason for the fatality.

Ashfire
Ashfire
February 3, 2014 9:33 am
Reply to  shehan

Sprinklers were never by design a “Life Safety Syem” they are by agreement with Engineers ans BASFA a property protection System.
 
Over 75% of Fatalities and Injuries are caused by “Smoke Inhalation”

Creative
Creative
February 17, 2014 1:59 pm

The problem with washing machines is that most people leave them operate on their own.

When using a kettle, oven or grill for example you are normally near by, if the signs of a fire become evident you can take usually control/extinguish the fire before it becomes too serious.

Occasionally you may leave the house with the oven on, but people do it all the time with washing machines. Therefore it could be that are less washing machine fires overall (than other appliances) but there are more serious consequences as a result; as the fire is not noticed and controlled.

Topics: