Furniture and Furnishings - Fire Safety
Furniture
All furniture in escape and circulation routes, communal areas, licensed buildings/areas and within all residential buildings must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations which requires filling and covering materials to meet certain fire and ignition standards, and which also requires the item to be labelled and / or identified accordingly.
Any covering on foam filled furniture must be in good condition to reduce the risk of ignition, it is therefore important that Colleges / Departments inspect furniture as part of their general workplace inspections, arranging disposal / repair / replacement of any damaged furniture immediately. 聽
Upholstered furniture manufactured before the Regulations came into force may contain foam fillings that easily ignite; burn fiercely and generate toxic smoke. Furniture should therefore be checked to ensure it is labelled as conforming to the regulations; any furniture not so labelled should only be located in areas where the risk of ignition is deemed small, for example: within contained rooms, such as offices etc.
Curtains and Drapes
Curtains and drapes in escape and circulation routes, communal areas, licensed buildings/areas, including stage drapes, should be labelled to indicate they are either made from inherently fire retardant fabrics or they have been chemically treated to achieve fire retardance. The manufacturers' or suppliers' instructions must be followed when cleaning fire retardant curtains and drapes.
Curtains and drapes (including stage scenery and decorations), not verified as fire-retardant, may be suitable for professional treatment or by self-application. Any curtains and drapes treated in this manner must be labelled to indicate the type and date of treatment.