safety Archives

Keep it Zipped: Mattresses and Fiberglass

Consumers continue to ask us about fiberglass in their mattresses. It's an important topic so I am re-issuing this blog post that first appeared about 18 months ago. Foam producers do not use fiberglass to make the types of foam we certify through the CertiPUR-US® program. However, sometimes there may be fiberglass in your mattress cover or in a fabric “sock” that is pulled over the foam core before the cover is put on — in what is referred to as a barrier fabric. These barrier fabrics are designed to meet government flammability standards. This is a perfectly legitimate practice. But it is important the fiberglass stays safely contained inside the mattress. For that reason, do not remove the cover of a mattress without first reading product care instructions carefully, consulting the manufacturer’s website or calling their customer service department. Do not take any chances. Of course, some mattresses are designed with a cover that can be removed without creating a problem, but just because you see a zipper, do not assume the cover is removable. Sometimes the zipper is there only for easy assembly at the factory and not for the consumer to use. In these cases, unzipping [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2022-11-21T09:22:59-05:00November 21, 2022|

Keep it Zipped: Mattresses and Fiberglass

Reading this blog could save you a ton of time and aggravation. In just the past year or two, consumers have been asking us a question that has also received increased media attention. It has to do with fiberglass. To be absolutely clear, foam manufacturers do not use fiberglass to make the types of foam we certify through the CertiPUR-US® program. But sometimes there may be fiberglass in your mattress cover or in a fabric “sock” that is pulled over the foam core before the cover is put on — in what is referred to as a barrier fabric. These barrier fabrics are designed to meet government flammability standards. This is a perfectly legitimate practice. But it is important the fiberglass stays safely contained inside the mattress. For that reason, do not remove the cover of a mattress without first reading product care instructions carefully, consulting the manufacturer’s website or calling their customer service department. Do not take any chances. Of course, some mattresses are designed with a cover that can be removed without creating a problem, but just because you see a zipper, do not assume the cover is removable. Sometimes the zipper is there only for easy [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2022-05-05T07:14:54-04:00June 17, 2021|

Sheltering in Place? Here’s a Worthy Home Health and Safety Project

Thanks to Covid-19, we are all spending more time at home and more time cleaning. Once you've got your anti-virus protocols in place, since you're already focused on healthy and safety, why not look at other ways you can protect yourself and your family? To that end, I'd like to introduce the concept of "replacement cycles." These are the predictable lengths of time that you can expect household products to last before they lose their effectiveness or deteriorate. Between waking up and going to bed, we engage in many routines for our personal hygiene, beauty and fitness, as well as household cooking and cleaning —all with the best of intentions. However, many items we use carry hidden dangers if we don’t swap them out soon enough. Here’s a room-by-room guide: Whole-House: Smoke Detector Batteries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends changing your smoke detector batteries twice a year, at the same time you change your clocks. Of course, in the interim, if your smoke detector chirps at you to let you know the battery is dying, you’ll need to replace it before then. This is so critical. The CPSC says two thirds of residential fire deaths take [...]

By Elisabeth Leamy|2022-02-08T14:25:58-05:00March 18, 2020|

5 Ways Adults Can Achieve A Safer Night’s Sleep

There’s a lot of information available about safe sleep for babies—which is so important—but what about safe sleep for the rest of us? After all, when you’re asleep, it’s a potentially vulnerable time. But it turns out there are concrete steps we can take to sleep more safely—and that can help us sleep more soundly. 1. Sleep with your bedroom door closed Sleeping with your bedroom door closed buys you critical time in the event of a fire. Whether from candles, clothes dryers, faulty wiring or countless other causes, many fires start at night while people are sleeping. It’s sobering to know that you are more likely to die in a fire at home, than anywhere else, according to FEMA. Decades ago, you had 17 minutes to get out of your house alive. Today, because of open floor plans and other factors that make residential fires burn faster, you have 3 minutes or less, according to extensive testing by Underwriters Labs. Fortunately, closing your bedroom door each night is a simple, yet little-known measure that can save your life. A regular wooden door is remarkably effective at keeping the heat, smoke and flames at bay, giving you extra time [...]

By Elisabeth Leamy|2022-02-08T14:25:15-05:00September 23, 2019|

Life or Death Tip: Close Bedroom Door

Wow. I recently saw the most striking demonstration of fire safety on an NBC-TV Today show Rossen Reports segment. What a lifesaving tip to share while its still October, National Fire Prevention Month. The video shows the difference between two bedrooms in the same house that is set on fire by burning a sofa in the living room. One bedroom door is left open. The other bedroom door is closed. Within minutes, the bedroom with the open door is full of smoke and is not survivable. The bedroom with the door closed, provides many more minutes for escape – and remains remarkably free from smoke. The video is life-changing and lifesaving. Watch it here. Here are additional bedroom fire safety tips from the Sleep Products Safety Council: Don’t smoke in bed. This is a common cause of fatal bedroom fires. Keep matches and lighters away from children. Playing with fire can be deadly. Using candles in a bedroom can be dangerous. Even a small candle can ignite a deadly fire. Keep space heaters far away from beds and other flammable items. Follow all the space heater manufacturer’s instructions and warnings. Don’t run the electrical cords under your bed or trap them against a [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2022-01-17T13:50:34-05:00October 25, 2018|

Lifesaving Tips from Sleep Safety Group

I recently bought a new mattress. A bright yellow card that came with the product and warranty information caught my eye. It was a list of eight tips from the Sleep Products Safety Council (SPSC), a group devoted to advancing the safety of sleep products that is supported by the mattress industry. I love industry groups like this that are focused on public education. Here is the organization’s “Eight Things You Need to Know About Your Mattress”: Don’t smoke in bed. This is a common cause of fatal bedroom fires. Keep matches and lighters away from children. Playing with fire can be deadly. Using candles in a bedroom is dangerous. Even a small candle can ignite a deadly fire. Keep space heaters far away from beds and any flammable items. Follow all the space heater manufacturer’s instruction and warnings. Don’t run electrical cords under your bed or trap them against a wall. Heat from cords can build up and cause a fire. Avoid placing lamps where they can fall on the bed. Don’t sleep with a baby or let a baby sleep in an adult bed. Babies can suffocate or be strangled if trapped between a mattress and a [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2022-01-17T13:52:12-05:00November 1, 2017|

Furniture Industry Champions Child Safety

It’s called furniture tip-over, and one child dies every two weeks when a television, appliance or piece of furniture falls on them, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Please share this infographic —these are horrifying but important-to-know statistics. Most of the deaths involve children between the ages of 1 and 5. Three-quarters of the time, it’s a TV or piece of furniture that falls on them; a quarter of the time it’s a dresser or table. These accidents happen most often in the bedroom. Anchoring furniture, TVs and appliances is a critical way to protect your child or children who visit your home. Three cheers to the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) for bringing public attention to this danger. AHFA supports the CPSC’s “Anchor It” campaign, and works to promote compliance with ASTM F2057-14, a voluntary furniture stability standard for freestanding clothing storage units, such as drawer chests, door chests and dressers, that are more than 30 inches high. Here’s a typical scenario: A child sees something on top of a bedroom dresser that they want. Maybe it’s a stuffed animal that’s out of reach, or Mom’s necklaces on a jewelry tree, or a photo of [...]

By Helen Sullivan|2021-12-20T10:53:45-05:00July 26, 2017|