Gwenole Cozigou, European Commission DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SME’s) is responsible for the Construction Products Regulations.
He asked whether additional regulatory measures were needed to address smoke toxicity, since it is seen as the biggest cause of death and injury in fires. He suggested, in particular, to consider the large changes in methods and materials of construction, and the lack of a common approach by Member States when adopting new building regulations. He also observed that fire safety in buildings was not solely determined by construction materials, but also by contents, and other fire safety engineering aspects. In certain cases, for example, better alarm systems may be an effective way to achieve fire safety. The question of smoke toxicity on the health and safety of firefighters and other workers is being examined in the framework of European regulations concerning the exposure of workers to carcinogens and mutagens, including considering the possibility and the costs and benefits of regulating fire toxicity under the Construction Products Regulations.