Furniture and Furnishings Fire Regulations in the UK: How can industry prepare?

The Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations (FFRs) were introduced in 1988 in response to the public enquiry following the Woolworths fire of 1979 and increases in domestic fire-related deaths in the UK. At the time, furniture was increasingly made from new synthetic materials that, once ignited, burned vigourously compared to traditional materials.

Since 1988, the FFRs, along with other factors such as the increased prevalence of smoke alarms in homes and changes in smoking habits, led to a significant fall in domestic fires and deaths. Given these changes to homes and in consumer behaviour (e.g. the reduction in smoking but increase in e-cigarette use), there is a need to review the FFRs.

The consultation for the new approach to the FFRs was released over Summer 2023, with several notable changes in comparison to the current regulations. These changes include:

• the scope of regulations, with exclusions now applying to baby products;

• changes to the essential safety requirements, which now stipulate a requirement for a flaming and non-flaming ignition source test on both the item in its final form, and any foam component;

• changes to conformity assessment procedures, with the proposed movement from component testing to final item composite testing (or a representative sample);

• labelling requirements, which must now additionally list any chemical flame retardants on a permanent label, and

• efforts towards increasing traceability and levels of enforcement, including the requirement for manufacturers, importers and re-upholsterers to hold technical documentation for 10 years from the product’s placed on market date.

One of the main aims of these proposed regulations is to reduce the need for chemical flame retardants in upholstered furniture items, with the main lever being the introduction of a ‘Flame Retardant Technology Hierarchy’. This proposes that manufacturers must evidence that they have considered alternative routes to compliance beyond the use of chemical flame retardants, such as using inherently flame-retardant materials and adapting the design of the product. Despite the acknowledgement that many manufacturers are adopting more environmentally friendly chemical flame retardants, government believe that further action to reduce the volume of potentially harmful chemicals in homes is necessary. This aim is reflected in the proposed new approach to the FFRs.

To read the consultation document in full, as well as access links to the supporting information (including research by Oakdene Hollins) and the impact assessment, please see the link here: Smarter Regulation: Fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you would like to respond to the consultation, and would like to further discuss details regarding the proposed new approach, please do get in touch with our Senior Consultant, Ellen Percival at ellen.percival@oakdenehollins.com