CPSC closer to FR standard
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 11, 2008
Washington — Consumer Product Safety Commission officials are moving closer to a flammability standard for upholstered furniture.
The regulatory agency issued a notice of proposed rulemaking Feb. 1 that is a step toward adopting a standard aimed at slowing or preventing 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.
The notice of proposed rulemaking is the second step in the agency's three-step process in creating a standard.
To read a copy of the commissioners' comments on the proposal, look online at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08182.html.
