Flammability Updates & News

Retailers on What the Future May Hold

I recently called several futon retailers to ask their opinions, of the effects of the upcoming changes in flammability law on their retail businesses. By and large, the responses I received reflect an industry that has undergone a huge maturation process vis-a-vis concerns about quality control and compliance.

There were concerns, however, on the part of retailers who deal in organic goods; and retailers who did some of their own manufacturing. More on this, below.

Asked about potential price changes due to the upcoming law changes, Mark Bello, of Right-On Futon in Chicago, said the following: “Having recently visited one of our primary mattress manufacturers, we were impressed by their operation. We know that they are manufacturing above and beyond the flammability standards, so prices for us should not rise.”

Mark and his partners expressed great enthusiasm for the forward-looking stance of this product supplier, who is obviously making good preparation for the future—both for his own company and for his customers.

Lois Hamamoto, of Bright Future Futon Company in Albuquerque, says that futons per se “are only part of our mix—we do yoga supplies and other organic goods as well.”
In addition to selling non-organic futons, Bright Future also custom-makes futons for customers who are sensitive to chemicals and have a doctor’s prescription for non-chemical organic futons. As a matter of course, Bright Future does a wool wrap on these prescription “no chemicals” futons (as we discuss below, wool has some fire-retardant properties). However, Lois expressed concern for her overall organic goods sales by saying, “If the law becomes so stringent that we have to stop making organic goods, then we’ll have to stop, and we’ll order from others...we’ll have to see....”

Yet, with the indicated law changes to include flammability standards for comforters, duvets and other bedding, Hamamoto mused on what the future of organic goods sales in general might be. “Do we have any recourse? Will this make customers’ obtaining organic goods such as comforters and duvets impossible? It seems unfair to them—yet, when they change the law, we have to follow the law.”

Lois said she orders her non-organic futons from a manufacturer that is compliant, and will be in compliance with any law changes.

A New England retailer (who wished to remain anonymous), said only the following as per the overall flammability situation: “We are trusting that our suppliers will keep things going in a timely and orderly fashion.”

In the Midwest, John Heinlen, of East/West Futons in Royal Oak, Michigan, responded to the question of possible changes in customer base and cost of futons, due to the new laws: “We have never had a customer ask about flame retardancy—in that respect, it’s been a non-issue; we have, however, had customers ask if we had all-natural futons without the chemicals.”

Heinlen added, “The only price-increase would be if the supplier is not currently up to snuff. Otherwise, prices for futons made by companies that are now compliant should not have to change much.”

One wag said, as pertaining to the new open-flame standards (and the exacting requirements for the type of cigarette to be used in the current smolder standard): “Does this mean that Pall-Mall stock prices will fall?”

Retailer Nancy Taylor, of Dream On Futon in Bellingham, Washington, indicated she would rely on her futon suppliers to do the proper testing, saying she would expect them to “supply a testing certificate.”

As she also manufactures and wholesales covers and other bedding, she felt that the upcoming law changes would have “a big effect on futon covers,” saying that several domestic fabric-supply mills have already gone out of business, and increasingly, there is offshore competition for her suppliers—from fabric suppliers in Europe and China.

In regard to offshore fabric suppliers, Taylor observed that the European mills may be more heedful of laws demanding flame-retardant fabric than other off-shore sources, due to the recent concentration on European standards. But, no matter the country of origin for the fabric source, Taylor will expect her suppliers to do testing and certify their testing as well.

In terms of costs to her manufacturing business, Taylor felt there would be a trickle-down effect of any changes that fabric vendors would have to make — problems on their end would invariably create slowdowns for her own business plans, with the eventual cost being — directly on the monetary side, and indirectly — in terms of time spent dealing with the vendor problems, which would take away from profitable time she could spend on other aspects of her business.

Organics in the Coming Legal Environment

Futons began as a natural, low-tech, often organic alternative to the metal-springs-and-foam conventional mattress. Hence, besides the many advances made in our industry, futons have also long been part of the alternative lifestyle culture that also heavily features organics in food, clothing, bedding and sleepwear. Therefore, any flammability law changes that will encompass bedding items beyond the futon is of concern — as noted above — to those of us who have invested their business in organic goods.

One aspect of this that should be made clear: so far, there has been no formal statement made as to whether non-chemical futons can continue (or not continue) to be made for customers who have a doctor’s prescription for them. Certainly, under the current understanding, these are strictly one-off items (you can’t legally keep them in inventory), made on a case-by-case (no pun intended) basis.

As for all organic bedding items, it’s a formidable question, given the extent of the coming changes. However, organic businesses in England and the UK are surviving—and the UK has flammability laws that easily equal what the US is planning.

Another aspect of this is the use of wool and wool blends. While the use of wool is not an end in itself; and any solutions arrived at—organic or chemical—should always be tested under the law before going on the market; wool does have certain fire-retardant properties that can be taken advantage of toward making a compliant product.

One place to begin your investigations is the American Wool Council (a division of the American Sheep Industry Association), which can be found on the internet at http://www.sheepusa.org/wool/genwool, or through the:

American Sheep Industry Association
6911 South Yosemite
Suite 200 Centennial, CO 80112-1414
Tel: 303-771-3500, Fax: 303-771-8200
Email: info@sheepusa.org

The AWC website has a host of useful references, including suppliers, wool facts, etc. Their site states that:

Because wool contains moisture in each fiber, it resists flame without chemical treatment. Instead of burning freely when touched by flame, wool chars and stops burning when it is removed from the source of fire. Wool is self-extinguishing. It will not support combustion; this is why wool blankets are recommended for use in extinguishing small fires.

This sounds good, but, remember that the test we are talking about is quite rigorous, and there is the possibility that, even with these wonderful characteristics, a wool wrap could burn through, exposing the material underneath to the flame. In other words, testing is mandatory.

As we have spoken of Europe in the previous section, there is a European information source that may also be of benefit to you. The European Wool Group is a professional collaboration of major European wool production and processing organizations, that represents the wool industry to the European Union. They would certainly be a font of information on fire-retardant natural materials. Their head office is:

ATELIER
Filature de Chantemerle – F
05330 Saint Chaffrey
Tel: +33 (0)4-92-25-71-88
Fax: +33 (0)4-92-24-15-77
atelier5@wanadoo.fr

The British Wool Board, at www.britishwool.org.uk, is another source of information for natural fibers in a land with intensive bedding flammability requirements. Also, a UK company, the Woolmark Company, has announced on their website (www.wool.com), that they have made advances in exploring the possibilities of wool and wool blends to enhance wool’s performance characteristics in all areas—including fire-retardancy. You can e-mail them at glenn_renshaw@wool.com.

Latest News on the California Legislation

I recently received the following information by e-mail, from Miles Bristow, Information Officer, California Department of Consumer Affairs, Communications and Education Division
The e-mail made public the upcoming implementation of the California standard currently known as AB 603. It lets us know that “The proposed revised regulations have an implementation date of Jan. 1, 2005. The proposed technical standard that accompanies the regulations includes adjustments to product-testing specifications.”

Details on the standard can be accessed at http://www.bhfti.ca.gov/ab603.htm, or contact
Miles Bristow Information Officer, CDCA Communications & Education Division (916) 327-9003, miles_bristow@dca.ca.gov.

The public was also informed of the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation’s development of the expected related fire-safety standard for filled bedding products such as comforters, pillows and mattress pads, citing this standard as “a national first in consumer fire safety.”

The moral crux of the matter was cited as follows: “Right now, if a child playing with a lighter starts a mattress fire, the situation can be life-threatening in less than three minutes,” said Lynn Morris, Bureau Chief for BHFTI. “A mattress that meets these new flammability standards will give a child a life-saving window of escape time.”

We are faced with a rapidly-evolving new world of compliance. Whether we are selling futons and/or bedding that is non-organic or otherwise, we can only follow Lois Hamamoto’s dictum: “...when they change the law, we have to follow the law.”

FL