Are building materials tested to find out what toxic gases are produced when the material burns?
• Unfortunately in the UK the answer is no. Tests look at the reaction to fire of building materials — but if the sample burns and produces smoke there is no measure of the presence and concentration of any toxic gases in the smoke. There are few mandatory standards that address the toxicity of smoke gases. This obviously varies between countries and regions, however as an example, the European fire classification system for construction products [Euroclasses] does not include any requirement on combustion toxicity.
