Flammable fabrics

Once ignited they produced considerable amounts of heat and smoke. Flame retarded flexible PU foams became available in 1954-55, i.e. within a few years of flexible PU foams becoming available in commercial quantities(22). These FR PU foams contained trichloroethyl phosphate or brominated phosphate esters and resisted ignition from small flame sources. Unfortunately they may burn when subjected to a larger ignition source or when covered by a flammable fabric and may then produce as much heat and more smoke than the standard grade of PU foam(3). This was identified by UK room tests in the early 1970 s and has been confirmed more recently by furniture calorimeter tests at the NBS(21). 

Cold cure" or high resilience PU foams tended to liquify before igniting were developed and gave good results in standard tests such as BS 4735(25) (similar to the discontinued ASTM D1692) but could still burn when used with flammable fabrics in furniture (Table IV). However they have been used most successfully in the UK in combination with flame retarded cotton interliners and fabrics of low flammability e.g. wool, nylon, FR cotton etc. and formed the basis of public area furniture used in the UK since the early 1970 s (Table V). 

Flammable Fabrics Act, enacted in 1970 and last amended in 1983, gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission the authority to set flammability standards for fabrics that protect against an unreasonable risk of the occurrence of a fire. 

Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) - under the Department of Labor. Its goal is to protect the consumer against unreasonable risks from products specified by legislation such as the Hazardous Substances Labeling Act, Consumer Product Safety Act, and Flammable Fabrics Act. (http //www.cpsc.gov/)... 

Wearing apparel is regulated by CPSC and is covered since the promulgation of the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) in 1953, by a 45° angle flammability test for apparel fabrics (CS 191-53), which became effective in 1954, and is still valid, as 16 CFR 1610.12 The FFA later started covering other products. 

CFR 1610, Title 16, Commercial Practices, Chapter II, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Part 1610, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, Flammable Fabrics Act Regulations, U.S. Federal Government, Washington, DC. 

To carry out its mission, CPSC administers five statutes. They are (1) the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), (2) the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), (3) the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA), (4) the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA), and (5) the Refrigerator Safety Act (RSA). Toxicological issues arise most frequently under the CPSA, FHSA, and PPPA. CPSC regulations implementing these statutes may be found at Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and are available on the Commission s website. 

Opponents [30] of the flammable fabric theory contend that it is a recently developed analysis focused primarily on deflecting public concern about the safety of hydrogen. These opponents contend that the flammable fabric theory faUs to account for many important facts of the case. 

At present, there is no universal care labelling system. In the United States, the Wool Products Labelling Act (1938), the Fur Products Labelling Act (1951), the Flammable Fabrics Act (1958) and Rule on Care LabeUing (1972) are in force. The JIS (Japan Industrial Standard) for care labelling came into force in 1962. Similarly, in Korea, the rule on Quality Labelling came into force in 1969, and the use of symbols for care labelling of apparel products was published in 1972. 

Flammable Fabrics. One of Chairperson Susan King s early initiatives was a November 1978 proposal for a flammability standard for furniture fabrics to prevent sofas and chairs from igniting when exposed to smoldering cigarettes. The agency estimated that 800 people per year died from such fires. The agency... 

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