SPSC addresses consumers' FR questions
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, October 22, 2007
Alexandria, Va. — Are new fire-resistant materials used in mattress lines across the country safe? Will they aggravate allergies?
Those are some of the questions that consumers may be asking now that a new federal open-flame flammability standard is in effect and bedding makers have added FR protection to their lines.
Consumers needn't worry about safety and allergy issues, according to a bedding-industry-sponsored Web site that provides answers to frequently asked questions about the FR standard. The site, www.mattressregulation.com, is sponsored by the industry's Sleep Products Safety Council.
Here are some of those questions, and the answers provided by the SPSC:
Question: Are the specific components used in FR-protected beds safe?
Answer: After researching the issue, the Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded that a number of commercially available flame-retardant materials that can be used to meet the standard "are not likely to present a hazard to consumers, workers or the environment."
In drafting the new open-flame mattress standard, CPSC researched the potential chronic health risks for a variety of inherently flame-resistant materials that are available to meet the new standard. These include several materials the public has used safely for decades in other consumer products, such as eye drops, food packaging and protective apparel.
Q: Will any of the flame-retardant materials the CPSC examined increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome?
A: No. The CPSC has concluded that none of the flame-retardant materials it researched will contribute to SIDS. In fact, the CPSC cited a four-year study conducted in the United Kingdom and reviewed by a number of expert panels in the U.K. and the United States, which reached the conclusion that there is "no credible evidence" that any of the flame-retardant materials included in the CPSC's review contribute to SIDS.
Q. Will the FR materials aggravate allergies or asthma in chemically sensitive people?
A: The CPSC has concluded there is no evidence to suggest that exposure to flame-retardant materials used in some mattress components would contribute to or exacerbate allergies, asthma or multiple chemical sensitivity in consumers.
The CPSC found the flame-retardant materials under consideration for use in mattresses to meet the new flammability standard are generally non-volatile, are not associated with fragrances or odors, and are not derived from biological materials.
Concerned consumers will be further reassured by the fact the CPSC noted that in most cases, most flame-retardant materials are used within the mattress itself. The CPSC stated that by using the materials either within the mattress or in a manner such that the materials are bonded to the fabric or other barrier components in an effective manner, consumer exposure to the materials and any attendant risk to such exposure would be minimized.
Q: Will the mattress industry need to use mattress foam that contains either chlorinated or brominated flame-retardant materials, the use of which a number of states either have banned or are considering banning?
A: No. To meet the new standard, U.S. mattress producers are using a number of materials technologies that do not involve the use of flame-retardant-treated foam.
Furthermore, as a practical matter, the penta version of a group of brominated flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (or PBDEs) is no longer used to treat any foams made in the United States, because U.S. production of penta ended prior to January 2005.
Q: How will mattress manufacturers change their products to comply with the new standard?
A: A common technique used by most mattress producers today to meet the new standard is to enclose the cushioning material within a mattress with a barrier fabric that blocks either heat, oxygen or both from reaching the cushioning material. These fabrics may be woven, knit or non-woven products. Mattress producers usually sew the barrier fabric into the mattress between the ticking cover and the interior cushioning material.
Q: Will the materials used in mattresses to meet the new open-flame standard make new mattresses less comfortable?
A: No. Each mattress manufacturer decides how to comply with the new national standard, by working with material suppliers to develop and test mattresses that will meet the new standard, yet continue to provide the same level of comfort and support that consumers have come to enjoy.
Q: Will the new standard increase the price of mattresses for consumers?
A: The mattress industry is committed to producing and selling products that are safe, comfortable, durable and affordable. Consumers can continue to expect the same wide range of product selections that they currently enjoy, available at price points for every budget.
