This article provides merchandising, housing, and design professionals, as well as educators, with a clear understanding of the program objectives and development of the Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC), an industry-driven voluntary product safety association. The central mission of UFAC is to conduct research on cigarette-ignition…

Doors serve a variety of needs and purposes in schools: (1) Exterior doors provide building security and protection from the elements; and (2) Interior doors control the movement of people among school spaces, help control noise and air flow, and act as flame and smoke barriers during a fire. In a lockdown, they serve as safety barriers. From a…

A DISCUSSION ON THE SELECTION OF CARPETING CONCLUDES INITIAL COST OF THE CARPET INSTALLATION STILL RANKS AMONG THE MOST EXPENSIVE. IN SELECTION, CARPETING MUST BE CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF COLOR, PATTERN, SIZE, WEARABILITY, CLEANIBILITY, AND FIRE HAZARD. WEARABILITY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY--(1) TYPE AND QUALITY OF FIBER GRADE USED, (2) CONSTRUCTION…

AN EFFICIENT FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SHOULD--(1) PROVIDE WARNING OF FIRES THAT START IN HIDDEN OR UNOCCUPIED LOCATIONS, (2) INDICATE WHERE THE FIRE IS, (3) GIVE ADVANCE WARNING TO FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION SO THAT PANIC AND CONFUSION CAN BE AVOIDED AND ORDERLY EVACUATION OCCUR, (4) AUTOMATICALLY NOTIFY CITY FIRE HEADQUARTERS OF THE FIRE, (5) OPERATE BY…

This publication discusses conditions that feed wildfires, how a building catches fire, determining the school's risk, creating a survivable space for the school, the importance of maintenance, the fire-resistant school, meeting code requirements, and related flood and mudslide risks. Much of this publication has been adapted for schools from the…

Robots provide teachers with opportunities to teach multidimensional thinking and critical thinking skills. In this article, the author presents a classroom activity wherein students are required to design a firefighting robot. This activity aims to demonstrate the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the robotics technology.

This accident report illustrates and exemplifies three significant safety issues with which the Board has long been concerned: (1) the use of seatbelts by the drivers of schoolbuses, (2) the location and security of schoolbus fuel tanks, and (3) the mode of opening of schoolbus service doors. (Photographs may reproduce poorly.) (Author)

A flammability standard for upholstered furniture is intended to prevent furniture from becoming a major contributing factor to a fire or from generating toxic fumes. Advice is offered on how to set a flammability standard and how to apply it. (Author/MLF)

In response to the fast growing prominence of windowless buildings due to potential or possible aesthetic, psychological, and economic advantages, this article was written to discuss--(1) effects of windowless construction on the life safety of building occupants, (2) the possible extents of fire damage to the building and its contents, and (3)…

The number of school fires is up nationwide. This article describes unsafe school conditions, problems with new fire codes, and the factors that contribute to school fires. Installation of sprinkler systems is recommended. A fire-safety checklist is included. (LMI)

Available technical literature pertaining to exit facility design and emergency escape provisions of the National Fire Protection Association's "Life Safety Code" (1976 Edition) are reviewed in order to determine the technical support for such provisions. The report focuses on the time-based capabilities of building occupants to effect…

Presentations made at the fifteenth National Conference on Campus Safety. The following topics are dealt with--(1) Occupational Health on Campus, (2) Teacher Liability in School Accidents, (3) Indoctrinating Students in Fire Safety, (4) Computer Installations Safety and Fire Protection, (5) The Design of Laboratory Buildings, (6) A Uniform System…

Presentations made at the fourteenth National Conference on Campus Safety. The topics dealt with include--(1) Provisions for Safety in Design of Campus Buildings, (2) Disposal of Chemical And Radioactive Waste, (3) Fire Prevention, (4) The Human Factor in Accidents, (5) Public Liability through Design, (6) A Professor's Views on Safety, (7)…

The considerations of human safety and preservation of facilities are examined in relation to school fires. Various aspects of planning which would decrease the probability of fires and thereby save life and property are reviewed and include--(1) causes, (2) automatic protection devices, (3) evacuation and fire drills, and (4) construction…