Furniture and Furnishings fire regulation amended

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 – which are considered to be amongst the best in the world – were recently amended by the Government to insure their continued effectiveness.

The issue that the amendment corrected is that one of the consumables listed in the regulations as a cover to test filling materials is no longer commercially available. Although laboratories have been using an alternative material that does not affect the outcome of the tests, it did mean that they were not conforming to the regulations.

The amendment replaces this material with one that is commercially available, thus ensuring that the testing of filling materials completely complies with the requirements set out in the regulations. This in turn means that manufacturers and retailers can be certain the products they make and sell are fully compliant with these regulations and that those who do not respect the rules can be pursued more effectively by the authorities.

This change does not affect accommodation providers directly. Self-catering accommodation and bed and breakfast operators do not need to change anything in their furnishings, however they can now be certain that all certified material they buy will be in conformity with the regulations.