Furniture & Furnishings Fire Regs 1988

tg99

I am going to be renting out shortly a property and may be required to furnish it including a sofa. I am able to get my hands on a second-hand free sofa from someone to use, however, it was originally purchased from IKEA in the US rather than the UK. Thus rather than having the required labels confirming compliance with the UK Furniture & Furnishings 1988 Regs, it has labels confirming compliance with a California Bureau of Home Furnishings Technical Bulletin 603.

I am assuming that I therefore cannot infact use this to furnish the property as being in compliance with the US regs does not mean it necessarily complies with the UK regs (IKEA may use different manufacturing processes in each country etc). Have tried to find out if there is some kind of standard from the US that is deemed equivalent and therefore satisfies the UK regs but no joy so wondering if anyone else has any ideas? (Have already asked trading standards, estate agents, council etc).

Thks

Owain_Moneysaver

You could try asking BSI but I think the short answer will be to use UK-sourced and compliant furniture.

tg99

Yep meant to say I contacted them too as trading standards directed me there but could not help either.

davidmcn

Or wait to see whether you're unlucky enough to have a pedantic tenant who checks the labels and demands you swap the sofa. If it's the same model of sofa sold here I doubt it actually differs.

Owain_Moneysaver

Have you tried FIRA

G_M

davidmcn wrote: »

Or wait to see whether you're unlucky enough to have a [STRIKE]pedantic[/STRIKE] tenant [STRIKE]who checks the labels and demands you swap[/STRIKE] killed in a fire involving the sofa. If it's the same model of sofa sold here I doubt it actually differs.

You cannot know that.

And do any of us know if Calafornia fire regs are more or less stringent than ours?

There are many ways to get free or cheap UK compliant furniture.

tg99

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Have you tried FIRA

No but by the looks of it definitely worth contacting, thanks.

tg99

davidmcn wrote: »

Or wait to see whether you're unlucky enough to have a pedantic tenant who checks the labels and demands you swap the sofa. If it's the same model of sofa sold here I doubt it actually differs.

It would be totally irresponsible of me to provide the sofa if there is even a slither of doubt. If it turns out the California standards are less stringent then I would be breaking the law and putting the tenant at risk if a fire broke out. It's my responsibility as the landlord to ensure what I provide to the tenant fully complies with the law.

vivatifosi

I am ex furniture industry but BIG CAVEAT not involved in or an expert on testing.

The standard number you have given appears to be for mattresses, is it a sofa bed? One of the problems that you may face with this item is not whether testing is better or worse, but whether it is fundamentally different. A lot of sofa tests in UK are done on the fire retardant properties of the fabric. The testing here is against both a flame and a cigarette. Having looked at some California info, the testing is different. Now you could argue that it's better, but I'm not convinced it's the same and compliance with the same is the requirement.

This is definitely one for FIRA, who are fab, but don't be surprised if you end up sourcing a UK sofa.

tg99

vivatifosi wrote: »

I am ex furniture industry but BIG CAVEAT not involved in or an expert on testing.

The standard number you have given appears to be for mattresses, is it a sofa bed? One of the problems that you may face with this item is not whether testing is better or worse, but whether it is fundamentally different. A lot of sofa tests in UK are done on the fire retardant properties of the fabric. The testing here is against both a flame and a cigarette. Having looked at some California info, the testing is different. Now you could argue that it's better, but I'm not convinced it's the same and compliance with the same is the requirement.

This is definitely one for FIRA, who are fab, but don't be surprised if you end up sourcing a UK sofa.

Thanks for the info and yes it's a sofa bed (IKEA).

colesy

I work in fire safety so have a reasonably informed position.

The California Bureau of Home Furnishings has been setting the standard in this area of fire safety for a very long time. However, if you look at the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations, there are no 'deemed to satisfy' dispensations for materials which meet an equivalent foreign standard. The materials either pass the British Standard tests or they don't.

If you use this sofa, you will be in breach of the Regulations, even if the Californian tests are more stringent.