11.11.15
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is being pressured to nationally mandate upholstered furniture standards already in place in California. Such a move could mean good things for the nonwovens industry.
The mandate under review, California TB 117 eliminates an open flame test already in place and revises a smolder test to gauge not only the flammability of the foam within the furniture but also the upholstered fabric outside of it. The last time the CPSC issued a national flammability standard—that time on mattress tops—it meant significant gains for the nonwovens industry. Not only did the standard increase the yardage of nonwovens used in these applications, the sophistication of the products needed to meet the standards offered value-added opportunities for the companies supplying them.
This week the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) offiically petitioned the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to broaden the scope of these regulations nationally. The CPSC has been evaluating whether it should adopt national regulations that would establish flammability standards for residential upholstered furniture for nearly 40 years. In 2008, after almost 15 years of regulatory activity, the CPSC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that outlined a flammability standard primarily focused on protecting consumers from fires started by smoking materials. The CPSC focused on a smolder test, because cigarettes are the source of ignition in 90% of the upholstered furniture fires that result in a fatality. The effort stalled, however, as competing stakeholders argued for an open-flame test, and environmental groups expressed deepening concern that flame retardants would be needed to meet those testing requirements.
The significant opportunities that nonwoens fabrics have in safe, effecitve fire barriers has encouraged INDA to form a Furniture Flammability Task Force.
The mandate under review, California TB 117 eliminates an open flame test already in place and revises a smolder test to gauge not only the flammability of the foam within the furniture but also the upholstered fabric outside of it. The last time the CPSC issued a national flammability standard—that time on mattress tops—it meant significant gains for the nonwovens industry. Not only did the standard increase the yardage of nonwovens used in these applications, the sophistication of the products needed to meet the standards offered value-added opportunities for the companies supplying them.
This week the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) offiically petitioned the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to broaden the scope of these regulations nationally. The CPSC has been evaluating whether it should adopt national regulations that would establish flammability standards for residential upholstered furniture for nearly 40 years. In 2008, after almost 15 years of regulatory activity, the CPSC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that outlined a flammability standard primarily focused on protecting consumers from fires started by smoking materials. The CPSC focused on a smolder test, because cigarettes are the source of ignition in 90% of the upholstered furniture fires that result in a fatality. The effort stalled, however, as competing stakeholders argued for an open-flame test, and environmental groups expressed deepening concern that flame retardants would be needed to meet those testing requirements.
The significant opportunities that nonwoens fabrics have in safe, effecitve fire barriers has encouraged INDA to form a Furniture Flammability Task Force.