Upcoming challenges: flame retardantsStamatis Sivitos, 30.10.2013

UK SNS annual event

Outline

Context

Potential use of flame

retardants

Health and environmental

impacts

NGO work and results

2008: New requirement

proposed in an international standard (IEC

62368) on the safety of

Audio/Video and ICT technology

Initiated by the U.S. National

Association of State Fire Marshals

Supported by the Alliance for

Consumer Fire Safety in Europe

(ACFSE), front group for the bromine

industry, now Fire Safety Platform...

Background

IEC 62368/ 60065 and EN 60065 Amendment 11

“A television set shall be so designed that the likelihood of ignition and the spread of fire caused by a flame is

reduced” and tested according to TS 62441

CLC/TS 62441: “the combustible materials used in candle flame accessible areas do not exhibit flaming for more

than 3 min”

Aims of this meeting

1. Background and update on current developments

2. Call for your support

3. Share information/ brainstorm

4. Need for coordinated approach – counteraction

Products affected

Is there a need for this clause?

“How eight TV fires spread across the world”

Source: Chicago Tribune reporting

Source: Chicago Tribune reporting

Source: Chicago Tribune reporting

Source: Chicago Tribune reporting

Use of statistics

020

406080

100

120140160

180200

Europe (Flawed) US Europe

# TV

fire

s per

1,0

00,0

00 T

VsFlawed comparison used by the flame

retardant industry to justify the need for an candle standard for TVs

Scientifically accurate statistics show there is NO need

for an candle standard for TVs

Flawed European Average in the 1990’sINTERNAL and EXTERNAL FIRES

Flame retardants not used

American Average in the 1990’sEXTERNAL FIRES only

Flame retardants used

European Average in the 1990’sEXTERNAL FIRES only

Flame retardants not used

Source: Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, USA

Why is this important?

Flame retardantsThe most cost effective and commonly used chemicals to meet this

requirement are flame retardants (BFRs and CFRs).

DecaBDE (used in the past).

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE)

1,2-Bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)

ethane (BTBPE)

Dechlorane Plus (DP)

Environmental pathways

Much higher levels of BFRs in dust, food, and breast milk. US levels are 10 times than those in Europe.

California has the highest levels of fire retardants in consumer products in the US

Found in increasing levels in dust, human fat, body fluids, and breast milk worldwide.

Health and env. impacts

Serious adverse health effects in experimental animals and accumulation in humans - documented in many hundreds of peer reviewed articles

(Blum et al , 2008 – The Case against Candle Resistant Electronics)

Other env impacts

Plastic products containing FR are hard to recycle

Flame retarded plastic is either being incinerated, landfilled, or exported to developing countries

What about the legal framework?

EU legislation

• RoHS Directive & REACH Regulation: banned or restricted only a small fraction of the chemicals of concern

• Complicated and long process via REACH

• Applicable only in the EU

=> Regulatory framework not sufficient

Views of US organisations

• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)• Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) • Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

“potential risk was too low to justify the implementation of a candle flame ignition requirement”

The coalition

(Blum et al , 2008 – The Case against Candle Resistant Electronics)

ECOS work

• Alerted the relevant standardisation bodies (CENELEC & IEC)

• Contacted the national members of IEC and CENELEC, providing the relevant scientific input

• Raised awareness among env NGOs in the EU

Outcomes

Majority of IEC TC 108 members voted against IEC 62368

Vote in CLC not in parallel with the IEC : => the CENELEC EN 60065 Am11 on TVs was approved in late 2008 –into force since July 2010

State of play

Relevant IEC and CLC draft standards have been repeatedly voted down (May 2012, March 2013)

Final standards should not contain the external ignition clause!

Conclusions

Increased attention to energy and environmental issues but room for improvement

Standards should be set on a robust evidence base

Vigilance essential at all levels

Important role of Env NGOs

Support the UK SNS!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

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