Health Hazards of Composites in Fire

Abstract

Fibre reinforced polymer composite materials can pose a serious health hazard in fire. Smouldering or flaming composites can produce copious amounts of dense smoke consisting of a potentially toxic mix of combustion gases, soot particles and fibres. These combustion products can cause acute and delayed health problems and, in the worst case, cause death. The short-term effects of inhaling toxic smoke include impaired judgement and decision-making capacity which can jeopardise the safety of a person attempting to escape from a burning composite structure, such as a building, aircraft, ship or rail carriage. The irritants in smoke, which include combustion gases (eg. HCl, HBr and NO2), soot particles and fibre fragments, can also delay escape by causing severe bouts of coughing and choking as well as extreme eye irritation that prevents a person from keeping their eyes open long enough to find an exit. The delayed, long-term health problems that result from inhaling smoke may include damage to tissues and organs, possibly leading to cancers and tumours.