How does an Interior Designer protect the Health, Safety and Welfare of the Public?
Every decision an interior designer makes in one way or another affects the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Those decisions include specifying furniture, fabrics, materials, and finishes that meet or exceed fire codes and space planning that provides proper means of egress. Additionally, interior designers deal with accessibility issues, ergonomics, sustainability, clean air issues, lighting, acoustics, and design solutions for those with special needs. Fire Safety. In a fire, interior materials play a major part in spreading flames and producing toxic gasses. Statistics prove that more people die in fires as a result of inhaling toxic fumes and smoke than from flames themselves. According to the NFPA, the National Fire Protection Association, the average annual number of fires in buildings accessed by the public (not including one- and two-family homes or apartments, industrial and manufacturing facilities, storage facilities, and garage dwellings) total 61,640and are respo
