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Important notice: UK domestic flammability regulations

June 18, 2020byIan Burn

With the move to increased home working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming apparent that many contract office furniture manufacturers and dealers are targeting the home market using their existing furniture ranges and fabrics.  
 

We wish to make clear that UK domestic flammability regulations differ from contract standards, so we recommend proceeding with caution in order to understand the requirements of the Regulations and to establish the suitability of specific fabrics. Just because a fabric passes crib 5 Medium Hazard flammability (BS 7176), or indeed Contract cigarette and match standards (EN 1021: 1&2), it does not necessarily mean that it will meet domestic regulations.

For clarification, we provide the following information and comments:

1. Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home is governed by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993 and 2010). These are UK law and contain the flammability requirements for fabrics and upholstery components which include the visible and nonvisible cover fabrics and all filling materials. The procedures for assessing flammability performance are contained in a series of Schedules which draw on various British Standard test methods.

2. The first supplier of domestic upholstered furniture in the UK is legally responsible for ensuring the Regulations are met. The “first supplier” could be a furniture manufacturer, importer, dealer or retailer. There are also specific labelling requirements, detailed in Schedules 6 and 7, which need to be addressed by furniture manufacturers and importers.

3. Flammability testing for fabrics is covered by Schedule 4 Part 1 (cigarette) and Schedule 5 Part 1 (match). The tests are carried out over a non-combustion modified 22kg polyurethane foam as a “worst case” foam and the match is applied for 20 seconds. In the Contract standard a CMHR 35kg foam is used and the match application time is 15 seconds.

4. Use of interliners (flame retardant barrier fabrics) is detailed in Schedule 3 of the Regulations and is only permitted with cover fabrics containing at least 75% by weight of natural fibres, in which case they need to pass the requirements of the cigarette test only. Interliners cannot be used in conjunction with synthetic cover fabrics such as polyester and polypropylene. Synthetic fabrics are likely to require an additional backcoating to comply with domestic Regulations.

5. Camira have a number of wool and wool blend fabrics which have passed domestic cigarette and match flammability requirements. We are currently re-testing these in line with the recommended frequency of re-certification which needs to be undertaken every 12 months. We are also trialling backcoating options with several polyester fabrics as a way to them meeting the requirements of the domestic Regulations.

Further information can be obtained from FIRA International (info@fira.co.uk) or from our Technical Team.

This guidance has been complied by Camira with technical assistance and guidance from FIRA International (as of June 2020).

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