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CPSC sees support for uph. flame rule

By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, March 23, 2003

Greensboro, N.C. — The industry could support a reasonable, uniform U.S. national standard for upholstered furniture flammability, a top government official said last week.

Dale Ray, project manager for upholstered furniture at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, spoke at an American Furniture Manufacturers Assn. workshop here attended by about 350 manufacturers, suppliers and others.

The CPSC is studying a possible national standard on the flammability of upholstered furniture. If the commission decides to propose a regulation, possibly later this year, a proposal will be published and submitted for public comment before it is enacted.

Ray said the industry's backing of a reasonable standard was one of the points that emerged at an earlier public meeting on possible upholstery flammability standards. Representatives of the AFMA and the Upholstered Furniture Action Council were at the meeting.

Other points included:

The goal of proposed standards would not be flameproof furniture, but furniture that ignites less readily and burns more slowly, giving people more time to escape.
Regulations should provide maximum flexibility to manufacturers and suppliers, and minimize adverse impacts on small firms.
The option to use interliner (barrier) fabrics to retard flames provides significant advantages because other components besides the outer fabric — such as foam and other fillings — can also be ignition sources.
The industry and the CPSC should cooperate in efforts to identify emerging technology products, establish best practices, keep costs affordable and maintain environmental stewardship.

In response to comments at the public meeting, Ray said, the CPSC has agreed to strive for harmonized standards; keep the barrier/interliner option in its draft standard; modify the draft standard to minimize costs; and facilitate communication between suppliers and users of emerging technology materials like FR (flame resistant or fire retardant) fibers, foams, fabrics and barriers.

Ray also outlined highlights of the CPSC staff's draft of a standard regarding the ignition of furniture by a small open flame source, such as a lighter or a candle.

The objective of the standard is to evaluate and reduce ignitability and flame spread and to limit fire growth.
The standard would have two flame exposure locations: seating area and dust covers.
There would be two seating test options: a small open flame test for FR cover fabrics, and a seating barrier test for fire-blocking interliners instead of FR fabrics.
A sampling plan would establish compliance. This would require manufacturers and suppliers to regularly test samples of their product for compliance with the flammability standard.
Manufacturers would have to keep records to identify sources of components, and to document test results, for regulatory oversight by federal agencies such as the CPSC.

Ray said the CPSC will continue to share information with the California Bureau of Home Furnishings and to monitor the progress of Technical Bulletin 117, a flammability standard for bedding that California is currently revising.

In addition, he said the commission will continue working with industry groups supporting voluntary standards, like UFAC, to develop alternatives to CPSC regulations. The CPSC also will work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on possible Significant New Use Rules for flame retardant chemicals that may be used.

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