As with curtains for UK Licensed Premises, so with upholstery, the
Licensing Authority requires flame resistance and certification to that
effect. As you would expect the flame resistance requirements for upholstered
furniture in public areas are greater than that for domestic use. BS
7176 : 1995 details the specification of resistance to ignition of upholstered
furniture for non domestic seating. The testing procedure is laid down
in BS 5852 ignition source five (Crib test), this is classified as medium
hazard. Higher ignition sources are required under some circumstances,
for example: prisons and psychiatric wards in hospitals.
Unless specified by the Licensing Authority the ability to retain flame
retardancy levels after a water soak procedure is not required. This
means that a 'Dry Clean Durable' flame retardant can be applied to the
fabric or the finished furniture in some cases. This clear treatment
applied to the face of the fabric gives an excellent resistance to flame.
Any wet cleaning however, would mean a further application of fire retardant.
The filling must be combustion modified foam or materials of at least
the same standard of fire performance. Increasingly the Licensing Authorities
require, not only flame resistance of the cover but also flame resistance
of the cover after the water soaking procedure contained in Clauses
4.2 to 4.5 of BS 5651 : 1978.
The ability of the fabric cover to maintain flame resistance with water
resistance is achieved, either by coating the back of the fabric with
water soak resistant back coat, or by impregnation of the fabric with
a clear flame retardant and curing in an oven.
Back coating is ideal for velvet or any other material with a sensitive
pile, the surface passes through the process without being touched by
any chemical. On the other hand, it is not possible to apply the flame
resistance to the face of the fabric. This can mean the addition of
up to 30% being added to the weight of the material by the retardant
compound to reach the required flame resistance.
We have an excellent 'Clear Coat' product which is applied by
impregnation and oven curing. The benefits are feel and handle and flame
resistance from the face to the back of the material, hence less chemical
required. Not only does the 'Clear Coat' retain flame retardancy
after water soaking but it is resistant to dry cleaning, which makes
it an ideal medium for protecting fabric destined for loose covers.
This system requires a high natural fibre content in the composition
of the material to work successfully.
If you have a fabric that must conform to British Standards of flame
retardancy for upholstery for non domestic use and you are not sure
about it. Why not send us a sample and we will give you an honest appraisal?
To comply with BS 5852 : 1990 Ignition Source 5, two main criteria
must be met:
Firstly, the ignition test should not cause the surface spread of
flame to extend beyond certain parameters. Our processes will always
enable a fabric to meet this requirement.
Secondly, the ignition test should not penetrate the cover, causing
the flame to reach the substrate foam. However, because of the high
synthetic-fibre content of some fabrics, we are unable to guarantee
that this requirement will be met, even after processing. In such
an instance the certification would state that the fabric meets the
requirements of BS 5852 : 1990, Ignition Source 5, when used in
conjunction with a Schedule 3 (Flame Retardant) Interliner.
Please note that the flame retardant treatment is still necessary
in order to comply with parameters concerning the surface spread of
flame, which the flame retardant interliner would not affect. The test
is carried out over Combustion Modified High Resilience Foam, and the
cover fabric is certified as such. All upholstery must use this type
of foam.
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