Flammability Updates & News

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission Concentrates on New National Standard for Mattresses; the California Bureau Gathers Data for a Bedding Standard

Why We Should Focus on Product Quality More Than Ever

The “Regulatory Plan and Statement of Regulatory Priorities of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission” found in the Federal Register for October 31, 2005, tells us very plainly that, “In fiscal year 2006, the Commission’s significant rulemaking activities will involve addressing risks of fire associated with ignition of upholstered furniture and of mattresses and bedding.”

As stated in my previous columns, the proposed national mattress and futon standard is patterned closely after the California Technical Bulletin 603 standard. TB 603 is a rigorous test. Having witnessed the burner test first hand, I can assure you that taking chances with a missed stitch “here” or a fire barrier gap “there” in a mattress product will not make the grade.

Both retailers and manufacturers should take note: any perceived flaw in a newly manufactured futon or mattress should be immediately called to the attention of responsible parties. Remember: when the compliance officers come to your door, they will take “mattresses,” not necessarily your carefully chosen best, for testing.

As the CPSC has so definitely stated in the quote given above, its commissioners are making a point of mattress compliance, and with a new standard approaching us quickly, this means the time for hesitation has passed. We need to uniformly set our manufacturing and quality-control equipment in order. Here’s a look at the timetable presented in the “CPSC Public Calendar, Vol. XXXIII No. 8,” for November 23, 2005: “Proposed Standard to Address Open-Flame Ignition of Mattresses/Foundation Sets: Wednesday, February 1, 2006–Commission briefing meeting Thursday, February 16, 2006–Commission decision meeting.” For further information, contact Margaret Neily at (301) 504-7530, or e-mail mneily@cpsc.gov. And, of course, new legislation is not being created for mattresses alone. Those of us liable for upholstered furniture laws, should heed the following, also taken from the US CPSC Calendar of the same date (considering as we do, that the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking commentary and amendment stage has culminated in recommendations being set before the US CPSC Commissioners for a Proposed Rule): “Flammability Standard for Upholstered Furniture: Thursday, February 23, 2006–Commission briefing meeting.” For additional information on the upholstered furniture standard and meetings concerning this standard, contact Dale Ray, (301) 504-7704.

Finally, I offer a gentle reminder that the mandate to create a new national standard includes “bedding,” as we have discussed in previous columns. The California TB 604 standard for bedclothes is well underway, and is being closely monitored by the US CPSC. For more information, e-mail contactbhfti@dca.ca.gov, or call the California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation at (916) 574-2041.

What is to Become of 16 CFR 1632?

The existing national mattress standard, 16 CFR 1632, a cigarette smolder standard, still elicits passionate responses, as evidenced by the US CPSC’s “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Possible Revocation or Amendment of Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads (Cigarette Ignition),” published on Aug. 23, 2005.

The assortment of responses (by bedding manufacturers, mattress manufacturers, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the California Bureau of Home Furnishings) made the point on one hand, that 16 CFR 1632 faces its own redundancy, due to the likelihood that mattresses meeting the TB 603 standard can pass (and have passed, in testing) 16 CFR 1632; the opposing point was made that some effective open-flame barrier materials may actually pose a smolder problem in and of themselves. The controversy continues.

FL