CPSC proposes upholstery fire standard
Estimates rule could save 100 lives each year
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 4, 2008
WASHINGTON — The Consumer Product Safety Commission has proposed a standard to prevent or slow the spread and intensity of upholstered furniture fires.
Under the proposal, manufacturers could meet the standard by using smolder-resistant cover fabrics or interior fire-resistant barriers to protect the furniture’s filling material, the primary fuel in an upholstered furniture fire.
The CPSC said its objective is to reduce the risk of upholstered furniture fire without requiring the use of fire-retardant chemicals. It estimates that once fully effective, the proposed standard would prevent an estimated 100 deaths each year. Manufacturers will not be required to use FR chemicals, and the commission’s staff projects that most manufacturers and importers would likely choose options that don’t involve such chemicals in fabrics or filling.
The CPSC has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on the standard, the second step in the agency’s three-step rulemaking process.
To read a copy of the commissioners’ comments on the proposal, click here.
