Groups agree on upholstery fire safety plan
UL to research open flame issue
Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, July 27, 2007
ARLINGTON, Va. — A diverse group of industry stakeholders agreed on a recommendation here last week for federal regulators considering U.S. fire safety standards for upholstered furniture.
“The majority of the group, including the entire furniture industry supply chain, was in favor of urging federal regulators to move forward on a standard that would ensure all upholstered furniture sold in the United States is constructed to resist ignition from smoldering cigarettes — which cause nearly 90% of residential furniture fires,” said Andy Counts, CEO of the American Home Furnishings Alliance which organized the forum.
In addition, the group agreed that more research is needed to find a satisfactory approach to making residential upholstered furniture more resistant to open flames — such as lighters, matches and candles — without exposing consumers to flame retardant chemicals that could be toxic.
To that end, Underwriters Laboratory announced that it will conduct an extensive small open flame testing over the next 18 months.
“There was considerable discussion about the differences between mattress construction and upholstered seating constructions — and how standards applied to mattresses do not necessarily translate into upholstery construction,” said Counts.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s open-flame mattress flammability standard took effect July 1.
CPSC representatives attended Tuesday’s forum, but weren’t allowed to voice opinions at consensus-building exercises. In addition to CPSC, organizations at the forum included the International Assn. of Fire Fighters, National Home Furnishings Assn., Polyurethane Foam Assn., American Fiber Manufacturers Assn., National Textile Assn., National Cotton Council, Underwriters Laboratory, Friends of the Earth and several environmental, chemical and victim organizations.
The National Assn. of State Fire Marshals, an organization that has long pushed for federal safety laws, was invited but did not attend. The association did not immediately respond to Furniture/Today’s request for comment.
Counts said that staff from the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees CPSC funding, asked the AHFA to spearhead the effort to reach stakeholder consensus on the issue. Congressional hearings on the flammability issue are expected later this year.
The CPSC currently has only two of its required three members and can’t take action until a third appointee is confirmed.
The incidence of residential fires involving upholstered furniture has declined in recent years, primarily due to fire safety education, improved electrical and building codes, the increased used of smoke detectors and, most important, the decrease in the number of smokers. In addition, the AHFA said that widespread compliance with the Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC) standard, which makes upholstery more resistant to ignition by burning cigarettes, has been a factor.
Nevertheless, a mandatory flammability standard for upholstered furniture remains on the CPSC’s priority list.
One model for such a standard is California’s Technical Bulletin 117, instituted in 1975, which requires all polyurethane foam used as filling in seating furniture to pass stringent open flame testing. To date, California is the only state to have such a standard.TB117 is under increasing scrutiny because of a growing concern over the toxicity of certain flame retardant chemicals used in foam.
In June, the California Assembly passed a bill that would require the state to develop a standard that achieves fire safety while prohibiting the use of certain chemicals. The measure is now under consideration by the state senate.
The AHFA said the tendency of certain flame retardant chemicals to accumulate in the environment has caused increasing public health concerns in recent years.
“AHFA is working in partnership with foam suppliers, regulators and environmental advocates to help identify new flame retardants that are less toxic,” said Counts. “But the California legislation places furniture producers in the potentially position of having no compliant materials available for meeting the state’s flammability standard.”
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Group agrees on upholstery fire safety plan
Aug 5, 2007
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