CONTRACT FIRE RETARDANT REGULATIONS 2008
Contract Furniture - General world view
Although the provision of fire retardant furniture in non-domestic locations is not a legal requirement, it is best practice. Again the UK requirements are the most stringent in the world. In all cases it is advisable to carry out a risk assessment of the building before specifying the fire retardancy required for the furniture. Such a risk would look at provision of fire escape routes, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, whether the user would be sleeping in the building etc. Then a hazard rating could be assigned to the building and the correct level of fire retardancy for the furniture selected.
In mainland Europe sourcing contract furniture that meets UK requirements is relatively easy, as many countries adopt these criteria for contract environments. However, again it should be noted that Sweden has banned certain fire retardant chemicals which makes some product meeting the UK regulations illegal.
In the USA the California fire safety regulations have very different test criteria to Europe/UK, but do offer a good degree of fire safety.
Description/Comparison of Test Methods
a. Cigarette tests
The main flammability standards use very similar test methods and are broadly equivalent. These standards include BS 5852, EN 1021-1, ISO 8191-1, SANS 8191-1, AS/NZS 3744.1 & GB 17297.
The test basically involves placing a lit cigarette on a small test rig (the rigs vary slightly in size/shape). The cigarette is left to smoulder. The test assembly should not ignite, and after an hour all smouldering should have stopped.
UK Regulations also include a watersoak of the fabric to ensure that any fire retardant treatment is permanent.
b. Match tests
The main flammability standards use very similar test methods and are broadly equivalent. These standards include BS 5852, EN 1021-2, ISO 8191-2, SANS 8191-2, AS/NZS 3744.2 & GB 17297.
The test basically involves placing a controlled gas flame on a small test rig (the rigs vary slightly in size/shape). The flame is left in contact for a period of time (15 – 20 seconds depending on standard). The test assembly should cease flaming within 2 minutes of withdrawal of the ignition source, and after 20 minutes all smouldering should have stopped.
UK Regulations also include a watersoak of the fabric to ensure that any fire retardant treatment is permanent.
c. Higher ignition sources – UK
BS 5852 uses two types of higher ignition source. One is a controlled gas flame similar to the match flame test. The main ignition source – ignition source 5 or crib 5 – uses a small timber construction that simulates rolled up newspaper, but in a repeatable form – giving consistency of test results.
The test rigs are slightly larger than match and cigarette rigs.
For the gas flame ignition source the test assembly should cease flaming within 2 minutes of withdrawal of the ignition source and smouldering should cease within 60 minutes.
For ignition source 5 (crib) all flaming should cease 10 minutes after ignition of the crib and smouldering 60 minutes after crib ignition.
