The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recommended fire safety criteria for transit bus and vans, Docket 90 includes two key tests to assess the flammability and smoke emission characteristics of upholstery fabrics used in these vehicles, these are:
- FAR 25.853: A vertical flammability test designed to determine the resistance of material to a flame ignition. The test specimen is held in a vertical position beneath the flame ignition source for a specified time period (12 seconds). Once the flame is removed the sample is assessed in accordance with ignition time, flame time, drip flame time and burn length.
- ASTM E662: This standard measures and describes the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions. The test method provides a means for determining the Specific Optical Density of the smoke generated by specimens of materials and assemblies under defined exposure conditions.
A principle concern for material components used within public transport is their behaviour during ignition, both in terms of flammability and smoke emission.
Rhino meets the stringent performance requirements for both test methods, and can therefore be certified as Docket 90 compliant.