Methodology for Obtaining and Using Toxic Potency Data for Fire Hazard Analysis.
Methodology for Obtaining and Using Toxic Potency Data
for Fire Hazard Analysis.
(980 K)
Babrauskas, V.; Gann, R. G.; Levin, B. C.; Paabo, M.;
Harris, R. H., Jr.; Peacock, R. D.; Yusa, S.
Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 31, 345-358, 1998.
Keywords:
fire hazard; hazard analysis; building fires; combustion
products; fire models; computer models; death; radiant
heating; smoke; toxicity; test methods
Abstract:
A comprehensive methodology has been developed for
obtaining and using smoke toxicity data for fire hazard
analysis. This description of the methodology comprises
(1) determination that the post-flashover fire is the
proper focus of smoke inhalation deaths; criteria for a
useful bench-scale toxic potency (LC,,) measurement
method; (2) a method which meets these criteria,
especially validation against real-scale fires; (3) a
computational procedure for correcting the results from
the bench-scale test for the CO levels observed in
real-scale post-flashover fires; (4) procedures for
reducing the usage of animals and broadening the
applicability of data by interpreting gas measurement
data using the N-Gas Model; and (5) a procedure for
identifying whether a product produces smoke within the
ordinary range of toxic potency for post-flashover
fires.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899