Flame Resistant Barriers for Home Furnishings

California’s Assembly Bill 603 (AB603), requiring all bed sets manufactured for sale in the State of California comply with new open-flame resistant (FR) standards, was passed on August 10, 2001. A revised test method, California Test Bulletin 603 (TB603) and pass/fail criteria were announced in July 2003. The California’s bureau of home furnishings and thermal insulation (CBHFTI) is in the process of finalizing its ruling for mandatory compliance with this standard by January 2005. Although the timing of a national FR standard for bed sets with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has not been set, an Advanced Notice for Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) was announced in October 2001. In July 2003, CPSC staff recommended that another ANPR be issued for a FR standard for upholstered furniture. FR barrier technologies, which utilize no FR chemicals or coatings, have been developed to comply with TB603 and have also been tested in upholstered furniture applications. This paper details some of the statistics behind the effort to develop safe and effective open-flame resistant home furnishings and summarizes the latest developments in FR barrier technology utilizing Basofil® fiber. Test results in both bedding and upholstered furniture applications are also presented.