BS 5852: Part 2 - Fire testing of upholstered furniture in UK

Purpose

The standard is used to assess the ignitability of material combinations, such as covers and fillings used in upholstered seating, when subjected to different ignition sources of gas flames and small wooden cribs. The thermal output of the ignition sources shall approximate a burning match to four sheets of a full size newspaper.

In United Kingdom all items of domestic upholstered furniture must meet the “Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988” with amendments 1989, 1993 and 2010. The regulations specify which technical fire methods to be used for a furniture or its components, the requirements, labelling and how often the tests should be performed. In some cases, the Act also makes requirements beyond what is stated in the test standards to which it refers.

Method

The tests are performed in a test cabinet with a calibrated air flow. The cover fabric and the filling are put in a test rig to create a small sofa with a 90º angle between seat and back. The ignition sources are located in the junction between seat and back. There are six different ignition sources, numbered 2-7. ignition sources 2-3 are gas flames and ignition sources 4-7 are wooden cribs (the higher number the larger gas flame/crib).

During the gas flame tests the test assembly is not allowed to smoulder for more than 30 minutes from the start of the test (60 minutes for wooden cribs). The test assembly is not allowed to show evidence of charring more than 100 mm in any direction apart from upwards from the ignition source. The gas flames are removed after 40 seconds (ignition source 2) or 70 seconds (ignition source 3). No flaming is allowed to continue for more than 120 seconds after removal of the burner tube. No flaming is allowed to continue for more than 10 minutes after start of the test with ignition source 4-5 (13 minutes with ignition source 6-7).

Deliveries

A test report, in Swedish or English, is delivered with the test results after testing.