The Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Department of Ecology) has embarked on an important mission to improve consumer safety via its “Safer Products for Washington”. It aims to reduce priority chemicals in consumer products. Safety is a top priority for BSEF, and it is for that reason that we have concerns with the current approach, which could have the opposite...
In this short interview, prof. Berto traces back the history of fire safety in Brazil and shows the roles of flame retardants in preventing life threatening situations. https://youtu.be/bn1FIt7uOY4...
Brominated flame retardants (BFR) changed the nature of combustible plastic materials preventing fires from starting (no ignition, no fire) in electrical and electronic equipment. This includes many of our favourite items such as mobile phones, laptops, washing machines and many more. The use of BFR allows products to be lighter, more innovative and cost-effective – it fulfils safety and performance...
On 10 March 2022, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation with an overwhelming majority. This is an important step towards reaching the EU’s climate and zero pollution goals. The new regulation will set ambitious sustainability and performance requirements as well as ensure safety throughout their life cycle. https://youtu.be/8adFJYaJHMI Bromine-based energy storage fulfils all these requirements;...
The fire performance of furniture in China is expected to be improved. Currently, the National Technical Committee 480 on Furniture of Standardization Administration of China is revising the mandatory standard Technical specifications for the flame-retardant safety of furniture (GB17927), the initiative has been approved at the end of 2021, and the standard is estimated to be formally released within two years. The...
BSEF Japan’s booth at the recent Automotive World event (Tokyo Big Sight, 19-21 January 2022) attracted a large number of visitors in spite of the continuing impact of Covid-19. The number of visitors was 30% higher than that of the JPCA Show in October 2021. Japan’s leading automotive show Automotive World is known as the country’s leading automotive show, which is why...
In this edition of Meet the Experts, BSEF Japan’s representative Tommy Kinoshita interviews renowned Japanese scientist Professor Kunihiko Takeda about his passion for fire safety research, what makes a superior flame retardant and the importance of brominated flame retardants (BFRs). [embed]https://youtu.be/E4DqRyD1fQA[/embed] Professor Takeda believes that “to this day nobody has found anything more effective than BFRs with antimony trioxide in terms of...
Finally! The EU is revising the General Product Safety Directive offering a crucial opportunity to reduce the 5000 plus deaths caused by dwelling fires in Europe and minimise the estimated 77 billion euro cost associated with injuries and premature deaths every year. Speaking at the 2021 European Fire Safety Week, BSEF’s Board Director, K. Kannah, and Head of Public Affairs...
On 1 October, BSEF welcomed its new Secretary General Michael Hack. He will provide leadership to the BSEF activities with the objective to share the benefits of bromine applications wider and within the political, social and economic debate. [embed]https://youtu.be/eE6_Ol3uJTw[/embed] Michael notes that “brominated flame retardants play a key role in society by making synthetic materials less flammable. They perform this function by...
