Your Clothing Can Burn

[Music] ah one of our most useful tools is fire [Music] [Applause] it's hard to imagine a world in which we did not have fire to help us to work for us in the many ways that it does fortunately we do have the use of fire fire is a tool that needs a lot of care and responsibility because fire can get out of control and become very dangerous although we can usually get away from fires such as these there is one kind of fire you can't run away from most people don't realize how easily your clothing can burn [Music] a clothing fire is fire at its worst and it's the kind of fire that i hate the most because our clothing is almost like a second skin when it burns we're burned as a doctor at the burn center i see many people every year who are seriously burned because their clothing caught fire burns from clothing are much more severe than other kinds of burns the result can be ugly permanent scars or even death burns are one of the most painful of all injuries and the seriously burned patient usually stays in the hospital for a long time [Music] the reason that clothing fires are such a problem is that most people don't realize how easily clothes can catch fire so to better understand clothing fires let's first watch some laboratory demonstrations which will show how various types of cloth burn first here's some pictures of tests on a material which is now illegal to manufacture because it is so flammable this sweater is made of brushed rayon see how quickly it burns material such as this has brought about laws regulating the kinds of cloth that may be used for clothing [Applause] while clothing being made today will not burn this fast all clothing can burn but some burn more easily than others and this is something we should know about the fabrics used in clothes can be divided into three groups those made from natural fibers such as wool cotton and silk those made from synthetic fibers such as nylon acetate and polyester and those made from a combination of natural and synthetic fibers this shirt is made of wool a natural clothing fiber now watch you'll notice that wool burns slowly wool is a flame resistant material it is one of the safest fabrics we can wear this is silk an expensive material for clothing notice that soap burns considerably faster than wool [Applause] this is a sample of cotton one of our most common fabrics but watch what happens when cotton catches fire unfortunately cotton is one of the faster burning materials used in clothing cotton is used in a large variety of ways shirts pants dresses underwear bed sheets the list is almost endless [Applause] a popular synthetic fiber is nylon some types of nylon are moderately flammable in most forms however it is slow to ignite and resists burning when it does burn it melts and sticks to the skin it is this hot molten material that causes some of the most serious burn injuries here is a sample of acetate another synthetic fabric acetate fabrics burn readily they also melt just as does nylon polyester another common synthetic burns fairly slowly but polyester also melts which again can cause severe and painful burns because this melted fabric will also stick to the skin the fabrics in many clothes today are blends of natural and synthetic fibers one of the most common mixtures is polyester and cotton when fast burning natural fibers are combined with the melting characteristics of synthetic fibers the result can be a much more serious burn [Applause] the type of fiber is just one part of the problem other important factors are the weight of the material heavy or light the weave tight or open and the surface texture smooth or fluffy for example here are two kinds of cotton material one is a lightweight fabric used in this shirt the other is a heavy one a cotton denim which is frequently used in jeans and jackets but notice how the lighter fabric catches fire much more easily and burns faster than the heavier fabric even though both were made of the same material the heavier fabric is the less dangerous one because a great number of clothing fires involve children there is a law which requires that all children sleepwear through size 14 be made from a fabric which is flame retardant it may be chemically treated or it may be made from fibers which do not burn readily it is important to know that flame retardant does not mean flame proof flame retardant simply means that the fabric will burn more slowly and the flame will go out when the source of heat is removed from the fabric notice how much easier the adult untreated pajama top burns compared to the children's flame retardant pajamas these tests illustrate the burning characteristics of various fabrics we've seen how some burn more easily than others but there's more to know about clothing fires than that because for clothing to burn it must first come in contact with a flame or sufficient heat to ignite it [Music] it takes three things for a clothing fire something that is flammable [Music] something to ignite the clothing and a person to bring them together [Music] there are certain types of clothing such as pajamas nightgowns and robes which are involved in many more clothing fires than other types of clothing also there are certain situations which are more likely to result in a clothing fire two out of three burn injuries happen in the kitchen using a dish towel instead of a pot holder can be a dangerous choice the towel may catch fire and ignite the person's clothing [Music] a frequent problem is people wearing loose fitting sleeves and reaching across lip burners [Music] storing goodies above a stove may be dangerous [Music] this is a common example the edge of the nightgown is very near the heater and is getting hot however because her body is farther away from the heater she isn't aware of the danger flammable liquids spilled on clothing are also responsible for many clothing [Music] fires [Music] stamping out a fire is extremely dangerous because the flame or sparks can quickly ignite your clothes [Music] children often find matches where adults have carelessly left them [Music] most serious burn cases involve young children the elderly and the handicapped children and the elderly both have thinner and more delicate skin than others and they're often completely helpless especially in clothing fires the handicapped are often unable to help themselves out of harmful situations okay what do you do if your clothing does catch on fire well there are many important things to remember that can save you from serious injury or even save your life but it's just as important to know what not to do is what to do so first here's what not to do do not run because you can't run away from a clothing fire [Music] running only makes the fire worse because it feeds more air to the flames and makes them burn even more also if you remain in a standing position the flames will move upward around your face okay now for the right things to do if you can get it off quickly remove the burning piece of clothing but only if you can get it off quickly the basic rule to follow if your clothes do catch fire is stop drop roll this means stop do not run drop down immediately and roll back and forth here's a demonstration stop drop roll [Music] rolling will usually put out the flames and the horizontal position will keep the flames away from your face if you should get burned there are some important first aid steps to know about first do not try to remove burned cloth if it is stuck to your skin because you might cause more damage to the skin and do not use butter or ointment on the burned area as it will only make the burn worse and increase the chance of scarring the thing to do is run cold water over the burned area cold water cools down the temperature of the skin keeping the burn from getting worse and it also reduces the pain then cover the burn with a clean cloth and get to a doctor as soon as possible [Music] even the smallest burn can become a serious problem if not treated properly [Music] because clothing fires are so serious let's keep in mind some basic rules when shopping for clothes keep in mind the different types of cloth and their burning characteristics remember that materials that are heavier in weight tighter in weave and smoother in texture will burn slower than fabrics which are light loosely woven and fluffy [Music] with children's flame retardant clothing be sure to follow any special washing instructions so as not to reduce or damage any flame retardant properties [Music] using too much heat while washing or drying or using bleach or fabric softener may reduce the safety of treated fabrics be sure any halloween costumes you buy are flame retardant treated as they are usually made of a very flimsy cotton material which will burn easily don't wash them as it will destroy the retardant treatment when around any kind of fire be very careful and keep a safe distance at all times always keep a screen in front of a fireplace remember the situations which are most likely to result in a clothing fire [Music] [Applause] and remember what to do if your clothes do catch fire stop drop roll and don't forget the basic first aid steps run cold water over the burn protect the burn with a clean cloth and get immediate medical attention it takes three things to make a clothing fire your clothes a flame and someone to bring them together don't let that someone be you fire is one of our most useful tools let's be careful in our use of it so that fire is not an enemy but a friend [Music] you