Furniture Flammability Test Standard to be Revised

FDT Bureau

In order to make more safe and fire retardant furniture, Ireland may introduce new revised regulations related to flammability test standard by 2021. For this, Ireland's Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has launched a public consultation on amendments to the furniture fire regulations that were introduced 25 years ago, as reported by Chemical watch.

Photo: swri.org 

According to a report of Chemicalwatch, Ireland is considering changing its flammability test standard for furniture and children's products to the EU's smoulder test in an effort to reduce the use of harmful flame retardants. The country currently follows the UK's open flame standard – the so-called match test – but this leads to the use of large amounts of flame retardants in domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings and baby products, such as mattresses.

The UK and Ireland are the only countries in the world that use the open flame standard, although they have come under pressure in recent years from industry and green campaigners to drop it. The UK government has been reluctant to make changes in the wake of the 2017 fire at London's Grenfell Tower that killed more than 70 people, said in report.