Reconciling chemical flame retardant exposure and fire risk in domestic furniture

Evidence, suggests that standards for resistance of furniture to ignition may lead to an increase in use of chemical flame retardants (CFRs). As a result, the industry is being driven to develop new approaches that strike a balance between high levels of fire safety and a reduction in the use of CFRs. However, achieving this delicate equilibrium and aligning it with specific policy objectives proves to be a challenging task.

Careful analysis, supported by Oakdene Hollins Senior Consultant Elena Payne, and previous employee Nia Bell, reveals a cluster of furniture types, such as baby and infant products and pillows, which exhibit comparable overall properties in terms of lower fire risk but higher potential for CFR exposure. This early exposure to such compounds is, from a European perspective, unique to the UK and as such has raised policy questions.

This research was made possible through the funding received under the competitive tender "CR21021 - Fire Risks of Upholstered Products" as part of the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Strategic Research Programme.

Whaley P, Wattam S, Bedford C, Bell N, Harrad S, Jones N, et al. (2023) Reconciling chemical flame retardant exposure and fire risk in domestic furniture. PLoS ONE 18(11): e0293651. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293651