Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010

Summary

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993, and 2010) are a piece of UK legislation that was enacted to guarantee that upholstery components and composites used for furniture supplied in the United Kingdom meet recommended ignition resistance levels. The Regulations are split into six distinct parts:

• Filling materials must meet specified flammable requirements
• All upholstery composites must be resistant to cigarettes
• Covers must be resistant to matches
• A label must be fitted to every new item of furniture
• A display label must be fitted to every new item of furniture at the point of sale
• The UK’s first domestic upholstered furniture supplier must keep records for five years to show conformance. The Regulations’ Schedules 1-7 contain comprehensive information on the testing and labelling of components. The testing criteria for foam and non-foam fillings, composites, interliners, and covers are specified in Schedules 1-5. Detailed information on the display and permanent labelling of the completed piece is supplied in Schedules 6-7

Who is Affected?

The Regulations apply to any individual in the business supply chain, from the sourcing of materials for furniture use through to the supplying of completed goods, as well as re-upholstery and re-covering.

The Regulations also apply to people who rent out furniture as part of their commercial operations. This includes furniture supplied with stays in hotels, holiday homes, and furnished residences (such as houses, flats, and bed-sits). As a result, landlords, estate agents, and letting agents are subject to the Rules.

Products Covered by the Regulations

All of the products that are covered by the Regulations fall under six groups; A to F:

A – Upholstered furniture in all styles, including chairs, settees, cushioned stools, and ottomans. Children’s furnishings, foot stools, sofa-beds, futons, and other convertibles; bean bags and floor cushions; nursery furnishings and upholstered items designed to contain a baby or young child. Domestic kits of upholstered furniture that come finished. Beds with upholstered headboards and footboards as well as side rails.

B – Furniture that can be utilised both indoors and out (garden and outdoor furniture) and is appropriate for use in a home. Upholstery inside caravans (although not vehicles or boats). Cane furniture with upholstery.

C – The filling material of divans, bed cases, mattresses, pillows, and mattress pads.

D – The filling of seat pads and scatter cushions.

E – Permanent furniture coverings (textiles, coated textiles, leather, etc) Stretch and loose covers for furniture. Furniture coverings for hidden compartments.

F – Non-foam and foam filling for furniture.

Labelling

Display Labelling

The ignition resistance of each item of furniture must be labelled, and all new furnishings must have it on at the time of purchase, with the exception of mattresses, bed-bases, pillows, scatter cushions, seat pads, loose covers (which are sold separately from the furniture) and stretch covers.

Permanent Labelling

Permanent labelling on furniture is meant to assist enforcement personnel in determining whether a cover or filling meets the necessary ignition requirements. Enforcement officials use permanent labelling on furniture to obtain useful data that will help them track and verify that the materials used in the piece are consistent with the Regulations.

Claims printed on the label may be verified against the manufacturers records. Permanent labels are required on all furniture except for mattresses, divans, and bed bases. BS 7177 covers Mattresses, Divans, and Bed-Bases Labelling Requirements separately.

Record Keeping

All manufacturers, importers, and retailers are required to maintain records to guarantee the traceability and compliance of all upholstered furniture items. The records must contain information such as suppliers’ statements, and the results of any tests that have been performed on the furniture.

Manufacturers and importers must keep the information for five years after the date on which the furniture is delivered to a retailer.