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ReikiMaster · 21st March 2008, 01:28

Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk)

Let me throw out an example of what can and does happen when Manufacturers do not take it upon themselves to cooperatively resolve the issues of safety. Its not exactly the same but close enough to illustrate my points.

I have some experience working in the Mattress industry for a manufacturer. In June this year the Federal goivernment put into effect a very stringent flamability law which was designed to prevent people from dying from a burning mattress that they were sleeping on.

They made the announcement of this new law a few years back and at the time the industry rejected it....saying some of the same things....idiots keep getting smarter, their not serious, it cant be done. Most industry insiders already know that this law was the result of roughly 12 death per year and usually because the person fell asleep while smoking in their bed. I was involved in many board meeting in which the "What's the big deal" and "its a small number of deaths" were vented when considering the impact this law might have on company profitability. Surely what idiot has not heard that its not wise to smoke in bed?.....translate to "not turn on you control, O2 valve...etc".

When it became apparent that the law was going to happen all the manufactures then screemed that they would have to go out of business, that the costs would skyrocket and it would have to be passed onto the consumer, that the industry would be ruined as no one could make a mattress that would pass and the cost of the materials to make it would be sky high.

Even with a strong lobby group the government stood firm on implementing of the law. They did delay its implementation but told the industry they would need to comply.

What ended up happening is the industry came togeather. The manufacturers and the supplier of material started groups to work togeather to find solutions to the cost issues and the manufacturing issues. In the end they were able to produce a mattress that met the new law and the cost passed onto the customer was in the the area of 10%.

I take away from this example the lesson that it is not a question of if there will be some 3rd party intervention in the future upon the Rebreather industry to improve safety but rather when and how.

The manufacturers might be well advised to take collective proactive action to address the issues.

John

the question is, the year after the regulation came in did 12 less people die from fires in bed?

possibly, but not due to the fire retardent mattresses, more likely from less people smoking and therefore less people smoking in bed.

just because there is a better safer matress on the market does not mean everyone throws out the old ones and start using the new one. It will take 5-15 years to replace all the mattresses out there and by then smoking will probably have been totally banned and noone will be smoking in bed,

so have they 'solved' a problem that was going to go away over time anyway?

or will the cases of deaths by fire acutally continue as the number of 'not idiots' responsibly buy a new mattress but give the old one away to a potential idiot who then uses for another 5-10 years rather than buy a new safer one, as they can save the money and spend it on cigarettes.

(ie what happens to all the current perfectly legal Rebreather's that are in use)

21st March 2008, 01:28	#24 (permalink)
ReikiMaster CK #21 Current Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Reading Berkshire Posts: 172	Re: Should Rebreathers be Dummyproof? Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk) Let me throw out an example of what can and does happen when Manufacturers do not take it upon themselves to cooperatively resolve the issues of safety. Its not exactly the same but close enough to illustrate my points. I have some experience working in the Mattress industry for a manufacturer. In June this year the Federal goivernment put into effect a very stringent flamability law which was designed to prevent people from dying from a burning mattress that they were sleeping on. They made the announcement of this new law a few years back and at the time the industry rejected it....saying some of the same things....idiots keep getting smarter, their not serious, it cant be done. Most industry insiders already know that this law was the result of roughly 12 death per year and usually because the person fell asleep while smoking in their bed. I was involved in many board meeting in which the "What's the big deal" and "its a small number of deaths" were vented when considering the impact this law might have on company profitability. Surely what idiot has not heard that its not wise to smoke in bed?.....translate to "not turn on you control, O2 valve...etc". When it became apparent that the law was going to happen all the manufactures then screemed that they would have to go out of business, that the costs would skyrocket and it would have to be passed onto the consumer, that the industry would be ruined as no one could make a mattress that would pass and the cost of the materials to make it would be sky high. Even with a strong lobby group the government stood firm on implementing of the law. They did delay its implementation but told the industry they would need to comply. What ended up happening is the industry came togeather. The manufacturers and the supplier of material started groups to work togeather to find solutions to the cost issues and the manufacturing issues. In the end they were able to produce a mattress that met the new law and the cost passed onto the customer was in the the area of 10%. I take away from this example the lesson that it is not a question of if there will be some 3rd party intervention in the future upon the Rebreather industry to improve safety but rather when and how. The manufacturers might be well advised to take collective proactive action to address the issues. John the question is, the year after the regulation came in did 12 less people die from fires in bed? possibly, but not due to the fire retardent mattresses, more likely from less people smoking and therefore less people smoking in bed. just because there is a better safer matress on the market does not mean everyone throws out the old ones and start using the new one. It will take 5-15 years to replace all the mattresses out there and by then smoking will probably have been totally banned and noone will be smoking in bed, so have they 'solved' a problem that was going to go away over time anyway? or will the cases of deaths by fire acutally continue as the number of 'not idiots' responsibly buy a new mattress but give the old one away to a potential idiot who then uses for another 5-10 years rather than buy a new safer one, as they can save the money and spend it on cigarettes. (ie what happens to all the current perfectly legal Rebreather's that are in use)
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