Airflow
Why measure airflow?
Airflow Resistance is not necessarrily a direct measurement of safety, but can be a factor in the causes of suffocation.
- Very high airflow through a product permits exhaled breath to escape and is a countermeasure to rebreathing.
- Very low airflow (or no airflow at all) is a countermeasure to rebreathing but can suffocate by asphyxia. If the exhaled air cannot get trapped in the bedding, it cannot be returned to the infant.
- Intermediate airflows can allow bad air to accumulate within the product and can be a safety hazard, depending on the construction of the product.
We measure airflow to avoid the suffocation hazards of airflow resistance and rebreathing.
Airflow
How is airflow measured?
There are published standards for measuring air permeability of fabrics, and a British Standard for pillows, but no standard for measuring airflow through composite infant products.
In consultation with experts in infant safety, a simple method for measuring airflow has been established. The following components are used:
- Universal Hemisphere Probe
- Flowmeter
- Air pump
- 10 Newton Weight
- Digital Manometer
(See below for the test setup)