British Standards Textile Information

2014This document contains reference material on BRITISH STANDARDS for the textile and upholstery industry.

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Guide to Flame Retardant Standards

This guide has been put together to provide an insight into flame retardant requirements for

businesses and information on various standards. Please use it as a reference and if you have

specific questions that need answering then please speak with a representative from Direct Fabrics

or with a trained professional on British Standards.

NOTE – Direct Fabrics will not take any responsibility for the information in this guide. The

information in this guide is to be used as a point of reference and a exact specifics for using British

Standards should be taken from the BRITSH STANDARDS Authroity which is the BSI GROUP.

Contents Guide to Flame Retardant Standards .................................................................................................... 1

BS5867 Part 2 Type B and C .............................................................................................................. 2

Introduction to BS5867 .............................................................................................................. 2

Who this effects .......................................................................................................................... 2

Business Owners ....................................................................................................................... 2

BS5852 Flame Retardant Upholstery Fabrics .................................................................................... 3

BS7175 Flame Retardant Bedding for Bedcovers and Sheets ........................................................... 4

Introduction to BS7175:1980 .................................................................................................... 4

Who BS7175 effects .................................................................................................................. 4

Business Owners ....................................................................................................................... 4

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BS5867 Part 2 Type B and C

Introduction to BS5867 In this article we are going to provide the details of what BS5867 Part 2 B&C requires and why as a

business owner you should be using flame retardant fabrics that fits this standard.

What is the standard BS 5867 Part 2:2008 Fabrics for curtains, drapes and window blinds"

Who this effects If you own a business and want to reduce the fire risk, then it is important that you are mitigating the

risk of fire. So you should be abiding and using products certified by BS5867 Part 2 Type b and C.

It is responsibility of the business owner to ensure that they are using products that are certied for use

in the business environment, they can get this information by speaking to their fire officer.

All fabrics supplied by Direct Fabrics which are in the flame retardant section are certified to BS5867

and have certification to show this. Other supplier might not have the necessary information.

Business Owners Need to specifiy the requirements for their projects to ensure that there fabrics are suitable for

business use and that the Direct Fabrics team can supply the necessary flame retardant fabrics

Fabrics are available that are inherently flame retardant, these include polyester fabrics and other

man made material. Things like Cottons and other materials can be treated to meet the requirements.

Test method

A sample of the fabric, vertically held, is exposed to a small flame.

For type B (Hotels, etc) the ease of ignition is observed. It is also noted if the flame reaches one any

edge of the specimen and/or if any burning pieces of fabric fall down.

For type C (NHS) the fabric is further analysed to see what happens once the flame stops but when

the fabric still may be glowing.

NB: The fabric is tested before and after laundering

type B (12 wash cycles at 40°c)

type C (50 wash cycles at 40°c)

Test Performance Criteria

Type B Performance Criteria: The edges must remain completely intact and no burning debris should

fall.

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BS5852 Flame Retardant Upholstery Fabrics

BS 5852:2006 describes best practice methods to assess the ignitability of single material

combinations, such as covers and fillings used in upholstered seating, or complete items of seating.

These tests determine the effects of a smouldering cigarette, or other flaming ignition sources such as

burning matches or a four-sheet full-size newspaper. This standard can be used to establish the

potential ignitability of components in conjunction with other specified materials.

Source 0: smoldering cigarette

A cigarette is put along the crevice of the test rig and allowed to burn over its entire length. If no

flaming or progressive smoldering is observed on both cover and interior material, the test is recorded

as no ignition and the material passes the test.BS5852 - Part 1 - Simulated Match - Passed

Source 1: simulated match

A burner is lit, held along the crevice of the test rig for 20 seconds and then removed. If no flaming or

progressive smoldering is observed on both cover and interior material, the test is recorded as no

ignition and the material passes the test.

Source 5: wooden crib 5

A crib is composed of wooden planks, glued together. Lint is attached to the bottom. After adding

propane-diol the crib is placed on the test rig and ignited with a match. If no flaming or progressive

smoldering is observed on both cover and interior material, the test is recorded as no ignition and the

material passes the test.

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27 Station Road, Backwell, Bristol 01172306630

BS7175 Flame Retardant Bedding for Bedcovers and Sheets

Introduction to BS7175:1980 In this article we are going to provide the details of what BS7175C requires and why as a business

owner you should be using flame retardant fabrics that fits this standard.

What is the standard BS7175 1989 in relating to Bedding, Pillows, Quilts, Sheets (bed), Pillow slips,

Blankets, Bedspreads, Bed linen, Ignitability, Fire tests, Test equipment, Testing conditions, Test

specimens, Specimen preparation

Who BS7175 effects If you own a business and want to reduce the fire risk, then it is important that you are mitigating the

risk of fire. So you should be abiding and using products certified by BS7175. It is crucial that when

working with people when you are in a position of care to abide with the fire safety rules. You fire

officer will be able to confirm whether BS7175 is required by your business. Most common business

where flame retardant standards such as BS7175 are applicable are;

Care Homes, Nursing Homes, Youth Hostels and other similar environments.

It is responsibility of the business owner to ensure that they are using products that are certified for

use in the business environment, they can get this information by speaking to their fire officer or local

fire departments.

All flame retardant fabrics supplied by Direct Fabrics which are in the flame retardant section are

certified to BS5867 and BS5852 and have certification to show this. Other supplier might not have the

necessary information but we can assure you that our products are certified. Please speak with the

team to confirm that the designs you have chosen are certified to this level

Business Owners

Need to specify the requirements for their projects to ensure that there fabrics are suitable for

business use and that the Direct Fabrics team can supply the necessary flame retardant fabrics

Fabrics are available that are inherently flame retardant, these include polyester fabrics and other

man made material this means they are suited to the required level and the purpose of bedding

products

Test method

The materials to be tested and the ignition sources shall be conditioned immediately

before the test for 72 h in indoor ambient conditions and then for at least 16 h in an

atmosphere having a temperature of 20 ± 5 °C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 5 %.

BS 7175, for the testing, a draught-free environment having a temperature of 15

°C to 30 °C and a relative humidity of 55 ± 20° shall be used. If the test is not carried

out immediately after conditioning, place the conditioned specimens in a sealed

container until the start of the test. Begin testing each specimen within 10 min of

removing it from either the conditioning atmosphere or the sealed container.