NFPA Journal - September/October 2013 - (Page 50)

FURNITURE FLAMMABILITY sued two standards similar in scope to NFPA 260 and NFPA 261 that also addressed cigarette ignitions.) The request from the committee was acted on, and the Standards Council is now soliciting public comments about the need to address the open-flame test scenario. “The committee understands that open-flame ignition is a major hazard for upholstered furniture fires,” says Tracy Vecchiarelli, NFPA staff liaison for NFPA 260 and NFPA 261. “The industry has a gap in it, and we’re trying to fix it.” The Standards Council will review all public comments on the matter sometime next year, and initiate the development of an open-flame ignition test method. flammability testing. The Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC), an industry trade association, has its own voluntary test methods guiding cigarette ignition of furniture components. According to the group, 73 manufacturers have taken the UFAC “pledge” to produce furniture adhering to its cigarette-ignition-resistance testing, which is similar in scope to NFPA 260. All of these efforts seem to be having an impact on loss of life and property. Over the past three decades, according to NFPA’s white paper, there has been a downward trend in fires beginning with ignition of upholstered furniture and associated losses, but it’s uncertain how long that trend can continue. “It’s clear there have been substantial gains as a result of what’s Furniture Fires are responsible for an been done,” says NIST’s Gann. “But the test methods have estimated 610 deaths annually, or nearly been out there longer than the a quarter of all home fire fatalities. furniture that’s in our homes. If those tests resulted in a 40 Elsewhere, efforts are underway to percent drop in fatalities from furnidevelop alternative methods for makture fires, that’s where we’re going to ing upholstered furniture more fire stay, since furniture meeting those resistant. NIST and the Environmenrequirements isn’t going to be any bettal Protection Agency are currently ter or worse.” working to identify the next generation of environmentally responsible fire National regulation: Four decades in the making retardants. Other research suggests that open-flame ignition resistance can The CPSC has worked on a version of be provided using fire-barrier systems, a federal flammability testing standard a combination of furniture fabric layoff and on for nearly four decades. As ers and coatings that either slow fire part of the CPSC’s latest effort, NFPA growth or prevent ignition of filling submitted its opinions, which mirrored materials. NIST is researching fire barfeedback submitted for the TB 117 revirier systems and measurement methsion, during a public comment period ods to determine if these systems work, ending in July on the development of a says Gann, and CPSC studies conducted cigarette-ignition-resistance test stanwith NIST have indicated “significant dard. CPSC staff is currently evaluating promise” for the barriers. Blood says and testing proposed performance the Bureau will launch a two-year study standard options. on fire barriers which would start as Theories abound as to why national soon as the 2013 edition of TB 117 is regulation on test furniture flammabilfinalized. Work is also underway to deity isn’t already in place. Gann hypothvelop a flexible polyurethane foam for esizes that it didn’t make sense to tackle upholstered furniture that’s less prone a problem when the solutions—TB to smoldering and, if it burns, does so 117, as well as UFAC, ASTM, and NFPA at a slower rate than current foams. standards—seemed to be in place. Meanwhile, other groups are pushIndustry resistance hasn’t really been a ing for voluntary compliance with factor, says NFPA’s Hall, since furniture 50 NFPA JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 manufacturers had little reason to think a national standard would be that different from the California regulation, which many of them already followed. Also, data on furniture flammability was typically focused on the first item ignited, and only recently, says Gann, did research reveal that property damage, injuries, and deaths from upholstered furniture fires increase when furniture was factored in as the principal item contributing to fire spread, a point underscored in the recent NFPA analysis. In 1999, an updated version of the National Fire Incident Reporting System, which collects an array of U.S. fire department data, began gathering information on principal items ignited during fires, making it easier for researchers to quantify the problem. Thoroughly researching test methods before making it the law may have also delayed implementation. “You have to do the homework to make sure you’ve picked the right small-scale test so you’re confident that you will get the prediction of a full-scale test,” says Gann. “Right now, regulators don’t have that assurance.” NIST is trying to obtain that assurance through the analysis of various configurations of furniture fabrics and padding, Gann says, with the goal of categorizing these arrangements into a handful of flammability testing procedures. As research continues and regulators consider their next steps, NFPA aims to raise awareness on furniture fires that are responsible for an estimated 610 deaths annually, or nearly a quarter of all home fire fatalities. “I’m not too sure the furniture flammability problem is all that well known,” says NFPA’s Stittleburg. “I suppose if you put it into the overall context of things, 610 deaths may not seem all that significant if you think about the number of people dying in traffic accidents. However, 610 deaths is a big number to us, and we will try to raise awareness and find solutions to this problem.” Fred durso, Jr. is staff writer for NFPA Journal.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2013

NFPA Journal - September/October 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Heads Up
Research
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Cover Story: Furniture Flamability
Special Report
NFPA Reports
NFPA Reports
Fire Analysis + Research
Section Spotlight
What’s Hot
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - September/October 2013