A new consensus on reconciling fire safety with environmental & health impacts of chemical flame retardants

Flame retardants are chemical substances that are intended to mitigate fire safety risks posed by a range of goods including furniture, electronics, and building insulation. There are growing concerns about their effectiveness in ensuring fire safety and the potential harms they pose to human health and the environment. In response to these concerns, on 13 June 2022, a roundtable of experts was convened by the UKRI Six Clean Air Strategic Priorities Fund programme 7. The meeting produced a Consensus Statement that summarises the issues around the use of flame retardants, laying out a series of policy recommendations that should lead to more effective fire safety measures and reduce the human and environmental health risks posed by these potentially toxic chemicals.

Automated summary

Flame retardants are chemical substances used to reduce fire safety risks in various goods. Concerns about their effectiveness and potential harm to health and the environment have prompted a roundtable of experts to convene and produce a Consensus Statement. The statement includes policy recommendations aimed at improving fire safety measures and reducing the risks posed by these potentially toxic chemicals to human and environmental health.