U.K. Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations
This article is provided by BRC Associate Member, UL.
__________________________
From the 1960s to the late 1980s, the number of fire-related deaths in the United Kingdom (U.K.) homes increased, mainly due to replacing fire-resistant materials (like horsehair) with foam fillings.
In 1988, the U.K. government introduced the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 to make domestic upholstered furniture safer from fires, reduce house fires caused by furniture and save lives. The 1988 regulations set flammability requirements for cover and filling materials used in domestic upholstered furniture and set labelling requirements.
The regulations apply to persons who supply filling material and fabrics to the furniture industry or directly to consumers and those who supply furniture, furnishings or reupholstery services. These include:
- Manufacturers
- Importers
- Wholesalers
- Retailers (including mail-order traders)
- Persons who hire out furniture in the course of their business, e.g., furniture included in accommodations let in the course of business such as holiday homes or residential furnished lettings (including houses, flats and bedsits)
- Persons who supply second-hand furniture in the course of business or trade, including auctioneers and some charities
- Reupholsterers
- Charities selling furniture as part of their business
What are the products covered by the regulations?
Products covered by this regulation comprise six groups:
- All types of upholstered seating; children’s furniture, including nursery furniture and upholstered items designed to contain a baby or small child; footstools; sofa beds; futons and other convertibles; bean bags; floor cushions; domestic upholstered furniture for self-assembly; and upholstered headboards, footboards and side rails of beds; used furniture must meet the same stringent standards as new furniture
- Furniture for use in the open air (garden and outdoor furniture) that is suitable for use in a dwelling (homes and caravans), upholstery in caravans (although not vehicles or boats) and cane furniture that includes upholstery
- Divans, bed bases, mattresses, pillows and mattress pads (toppers)
- Scatter cushions and seat pads
- Permanent, loose and stretch covers for furniture, including covers for nonvisible parts of furniture
- Foam and nonfoam filling material for furniture
Products exempted by the regulations include sleeping bags, bedclothes (including duvets, loose covers for mattresses, pillowcases, curtains and carpets), as these articles must comply with safety requirements imposed by the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR).
In addition, the regulations do not apply to furniture intended for export or manufactured before 1950.
Six main elements contained within the regulations
The U.K. Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations include different elements, but here, we list the main ones:
- Filling materials must meet specified ignition requirements.
- Upholstery composites must be cigarette-resistant.
- Covers must be match-resistant (with some exceptions).
- A permanent label must be attached to the furniture (with some exceptions).
- Display labelling is required to indicate the ignition resistance (with some exceptions).
- The first supplier of domestic upholstered furniture in the U.K. must maintain records for five years to prove compliance.
Summary of the requirements
Regulation requirements include:
- Foam fillings must meet the requirements outlined in Schedule 1.
- Nonfoam fillings must meet the requirements outlined in Schedule 2.
- Composite fillings can be tested separately or by the total composite.
- Fire barriers must meet the requirements outlined in Schedule 3.
- Upholstery composites must meet the requirements outlined in Schedule 4.
- Permanent, loose or stretch covers must meet the requirements outlined in Schedule 5.
Testing, standards and display labelling requirements of the regulations
The regulations set out testing methods based on British Standard (BS) 5852: Part 1 and Part 2, and BS 6807, which determine the fire resistance of materials used in upholstered furniture. Most new furniture must carry a fire safety label at the point of sale, except for items like mattresses and pillows. Labels must be visible and easily readable by consumers.
Recent consultation in 2023
Over three decades later, while the regulations are still saving lives, there is a need to update them to address modern-day issues. Consequently, the U.K. government conducted a consultation with the intention of introducing a new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture. This is based on safety outcomes that will be underpinned by a set of essential safety requirements that all products in scope of the regulations must meet in order to be placed on the market. It will maintain and improve fire safety for consumers by better representing the safety of the product as it appears in their homes and will facilitate manufacturing innovation and a reduction in the use of chemical retardants.
To that end, the U.K. Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) conducted a consultation (August-October 2023) to review and propose updates to the regulations, focusing on:
- The scope of the regulations
- Essential safety requirements
- Conformity assessment procedures
- Labelling requirements
- Technical file requirements
- Proposed timescales for the implementation of and transition to new regulations
- Measures to encourage and enable a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants
The outcome of the consultation is pending and may lead to changes in the regulations and applicable standards.
UL Solutions experts constantly monitor the consumer products legislation scenario and update retailers and brands on the latest revisions. To receive our “IN THE NEWS” monthly regulatory newsletter, subscribe at In the News - Regulatory Updates for Retail and Consumer Products
