Fire Safety – Public Advice
Furniture & Furnishings - Fire Safety
Ref
FS- PAN035
Issue/Revision Date
01/05/2009
Review Date
12/10/2013
Version: 4.0
INTRODUCTION
Toxic smoke from burning furniture and furnishings, can spread rapidly and block escape routes,
causing injury and death.
The presence of unsuitable furniture and furnishings can increase the "fire loading" of a building and
make fire damage much more severe.
OTHER AUTHORITIES YOU SHOULD CONSULT
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) are enforced by local
authority trading standards officers. In West Yorkshire, the local authorities run a joint trading
standards office in Leeds (see "FURTHER ADVICE").
SAFER FURNITURE - AT HOME
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) control:
The sale of new and second hand furniture for use in a private dwelling (which includes flats, bed-sits
etc), and from 31 December 1996 will control;
Furniture which is hired out in connection with the letting of accommodation (which includes holiday
homes, self catering apartments and furnished lettings).
The Regulations specify thirteen separate fire tests, which are applicable to various types of furniture
and fittings, including their covers.
The Regulations apply to upholstered furniture including:
a) chairs, stools, settees, pouffes, sofa beds and other items with upholstered seating.
b) beds and divans including bases, headboards and mattresses.
c) childrens’ furniture including cots, carry-cots, playpens, pushchairs, high chairs and similar
nursery items.
d) cushions, seat pads and pillows.
e) garden furniture suitable for use in dwellings.
f) furniture in new caravans.
The Regulations also apply to the re-covering and re-upholstery of furniture.
The Regulations do not apply to:
a) furniture made before 1950 and its re-upholstery;
b) sleeping bags
c) bed clothes
d) loose covers for mattresses
e) pillowcases
f) curtains
g) carpets
h) furniture in second-hand caravans
The Regulations are designed to ensure that the permanent covering to furniture is resistant to a
lighted cigarette or to a flaming source (such as a match) and that the filling will not burn readily.
Furniture, which complies with the Regulations, and is exposed for retail, should have permanent
labels attached. Great care must be taken with older furniture, which does not comply with the
Regulations because the cover may ignite easily and the contents may burn fiercely releasing large
quantities of heat and highly toxic smoke.
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SAFER FURNITURE - ELSEWHERE THAN AT HOME
The following advice should be adhered to for places of entertainment and like premises, (such as
theatres, concert halls, dance halls, conference centres and indoor leisure centres). It should be
regarded as a good standard for fire precautions in all other premises.
a) Floor Coverings
Some floor coverings may produce large volumes of heat and smoke when involved in fire, although
flames may only spread slowly across the surface. If new floor coverings are installed, they should
comply with British Standard 5287 as conforming to the low radius of fire spread (up to 35mm) when
tested in accordance with British Standard 4790.
b) Hanging Curtains, Blinds, Drapes etc
All curtains or drapes should be non combustible or inherently flame retardant or flame retardant
treated to meet the performance requirements of a British Standard 5867: Part 2: Type B fabric.
c) Decorations
Fabric foliage or decorations should be constructed from materials which have passed the British
Standard 5867 Part 2 Type B test or which have been treated to render them fire retardant to the
same standard. Plastic foliage or decorations of any type ARE NOT acceptable.
d) Upholstered Furniture
Upholstered furniture should comply with the performance requirements for medium hazard in British
Standard 7176:1995 and should be resistant to the ignition source: smouldering cigarette of BS EN
1021-1:1994, ignition source: match flame equivalent of BS EN 1021-2:1994, and ignition source 5 in
section 4 of BS 5852:1990.
Filling materials for use in furnishings should be restricted to COMBUSTION MODIFIED FOAM or
other materials having at least the same standard of fire performance.
Furniture should be maintained free from tears, rips, etc which would result in the filling being
exposed.
e) Cellular Foam
The use of cellular foam in such places as sports halls or gymnasiums may prejudice the safety of
persons using other parts of the premises, if the cellular foam is involved in a fire. This is the situation
which occurred at Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast, in 1984 where as a result of a fire involving
gymnastic mats containing cellular foam six people died from inhaling the smoke and toxic gases. In
order that the risk of fire may be reduced it is recommended that the following guidance should be
followed.

Gymnastic mats and similar equipment should ideally contain only combustion modified high
resilience foam as prescribed in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

The contents of all new foam pits should be of combustion modified high resilience foam. Where
existing pits do not contain this type of foam the contents should be replaced at the earliest
opportunity. Pits should ideally be covered when not in use.

Gymnastic mats should be stored in a purpose-built store having a fire resistance of 60 minutes to
British Standard 476: Parts 21 to 22, and where possible be ventilated to open air.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
TITLE
AVAILABLE
FROM
A Guide to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations
(http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file24685.pdf)
DTI
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 (SI No 1324)
SO
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1989 (SI No
2358)
SO
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1993 (SI No
207)
SO
BS 476: Parts 21 to 22 Fire Tests on Building Materials and Structures
BSI
BS EN 1021-1 Furniture - Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture - Part 1
Ignition source: Smouldering cigarette
BSI
BS EN 1021-1 Furniture - Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture - Part 2
Ignition source: Match flame equivalent
BSI
BS 4790 Method for determination of the effects of a small source of ignition on textile
floor coverings (Hot metal nut method)
BSI
BS 5287 Method, Assessment and Labelling of Textile Floor Coverings tested to BS
4790
BSI
BS 5852 Methods of test for the assessment of the ignitability of upholstered seating by
smouldering and flaming ignition sources
BSI
BS 5867: Part 2 Specifications for fabrics for curtains and drapes: Flammability
requirements
BSI
The publications can be obtained from the following addresses:
DTI
The Consumer Safety Unit
Department of Trade and Industry
Room 302
10-18 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0NN
The Stationery Office Ltd
PO BOX 29
Norwich
NR3 1GN
HMSO
Or
Blackwells
Blenheim Terrace
Leeds
LS2 9HJ
Tel: 01287 635834
Tel: 0870 600 5522
Fax: 0870 600 5533
e-mail: customer.services@tso.co.uk
web:
www.tso.co.uk/bookshop/bookstore.asp
Tel: 0113 245 2623
Fax: 0113 242 5641
e-mail: osleeds@blackwellsbookshops.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon–Sat: 09.00 – 17.30
BSI
British Standards Institution (Sales)
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL
Tel: 0208 996 7003
e-mail: cservices@bsi-global.com
web: bsonline.techindex.co.uk
Page 3 of 4
FURTHER ADVICE
Further advice on fire safety relating to furniture and furnishings can be obtained from the Trading
Standards Officer (see the address below) or from your local fire station.
Trading Standards
P O Box 5
Nepshaw Lane
Morley
Leeds
LS27 0QP
Tel: 0113 2530241
Fax: 0113 253 0311
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