Vehicle Fire Hazards
Air Bags
Modern vehicles can contain up to 10 (or more) air bags. There are documented cases of activations and explosion of the various types of air bags and their inflator d... View MoreVehicle Fire Hazards
Air Bags
Modern vehicles can contain up to 10 (or more) air bags. There are documented cases of activations and explosion of the various types of air bags and their inflator devices at vehicle fires. Steering wheel and front passenger air bag inflators contain sodium azide. Under normal circumstances, the air bag activates when a small electrical charge ignites sodium azide inside the air bag inflator, which rapidly converts to nitrogen gas.
An air bag fully inflates in 0.03 seconds.13 Sodium azide decomposes and spontaneously ignites at temperatures between 527�F and 626�F.14 We already know that a passenger compartment fire will easily exceed that temperature, so it�s no surprise that an air bag can potentially activate at vehicle fires and injure personnel.
Compressed gas inflator cylinders containing pressurized inert gas control the side curtain and other air bags. Under the extreme heat of a vehicle fire, these compressed gas cylinders will rapidly heat up and activate the air bag, or the cylinder itself may overpressurize and rupture. An air bag inflator cylinder that ruptures in a fire can become a flying projectile. Avoid leaning into the passenger compartment of vehicles on fire to reduce the risk of injury by an air bag or an air bag inflator cylinder explosion.
Steven Schnaudt
