How flammable is polystyrene?

[Willow2]

Any health and safety experts out there - this is definitely not your average mumnset query. Just had new washing machine delivered and installers left whopping chunk of polystyrene in the base. Only noticed it after several days when became very aware of strong, chemical smell when machine turned on. Manufacturer advised checking to see if all packaging had been removed. Sure enough it hadn't. The chunk of polystyrene had split with the heat and absolutely reeked. Did this present a fire risk and could the fumes have been dangerous? Would really like to find out.

[robinw]

message withdrawn

[Snugs]

Nicked this long blurb from a science website:

"The flammability of all plastics can be divided into three general categories: highly flammable, flammable, and flame retarding. Some plastics light very easily and continue to burn very rapidly; these are considered to be highly flammable plastics. The most important of these are; polystyrene, acrylics, polyethylene, cellulose, polyethylene terphthalate (PETE), and polyurethane...."

I'm sure styrene in gaseous form is toxic - the fumes from polystyrene are generally argued to be carcinogenic - but that depends on who you talk to. The plastics industry will obviously tell you different.

HTH

[Willow2]

Thanks chapesses.