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Damant: Flammability issues demanding immediate attention of bedding producers

By David Perry -- Furniture Today, November 23, 2003

Nashville, Tenn. — Bedding manufacturers should devote their immediate attention to mattress flammability issues, a leading flammability consultant said at an industry meeting here in September.

Gordon Damant, who works for Inter-City Testing and Consulting Corp. and is a consultant to several sleep products groups, had some frank advice for mattress makers.

"The importance of starting to work on a practical solution to the impact of the new fire tests, if you have not already done so, cannot be over-emphasized," Damant said at a meeting of the International Sleep Products Assn.

"Some mattress makers as well as many suppliers of barrier systems already have performed extensive, full-scale fire tests of bed sets," he continued. "Apparently, other producers have yet to engage in this exercise. We cannot over-stress the critical importance of starting preparations immediately so that every mattress producer is fully prepared to produce complying bed sets well before the actual dates of legal compliance."

Legal compliance begins in California on Jan. 1, 2005, when that state begins enforcement of stringent new open-flame mattress flammability standards.

Those standards become law on Jan. 1, 2004, but the effective enforcement date was pushed back a year as the result of talks California regulators had with several groups.

Given the additional year to prepare for the standards, some producers apparently believe they now have plenty of time to study the complex flammability issue.

But Damant warned that time is actually running out.

"The standards-development process is starting to accelerate," he said, "and many producers who have been watching these developments from the sidelines will be jolted into action as the deadlines for the new standards become a rapidly approaching reality."

But producers need not panic, Damant said.

"There are many, including suppliers of barrier systems, who are willing to assist in providing solutions," he said. "Early in 2004, the Sleep Products Safety Council plans to hold a series of regional workshops to bring producers up to date with the latest developments on this important topic, and to share information on potential methods of compliance with the new full-scale fire tests.

"The clock is indeed running on bedding flammability," Damant continued. "Preparation to ensure full compliance with the new regulatory requirements needs every producer's immediate attention."

Damant also commented on the work being done by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is eyeing development of national standards on mattress flammability and on bedclothes flammability. National standards would pre-empt California standards.

"We currently anticipate the (CPSC) staff will present the briefing package to the commission in early 2004 for bedclothes, and a proposed bed set standard around mid-year," he said.

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