Closed consultation

Smarter Regulation: Fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture

• From: Office for Product Safety and Standards and Department for Business and Trade
• Published: 2 August 2023
• Last updated: 16 October 2023 — See all updates

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Summary

We are seeking views on a proposed new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture and furnishings.

This consultation ran from
12:01am on 2 August 2023 to 11:59pm on 24 October 2023

Consultation description

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 were introduced to protect consumers from injury and death resulting from highly flammable upholstered furniture. Important changes are required to take account of modern day hazards and risks. This consultation seeks views from a wide range of stakeholders on the proposed new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, in particular:

• the scope of the regulations
• the essential safety requirements
• the conformity assessment procedure
• the labelling requirements
• the technical file requirements
• the proposed timescales for the implementation of and transition to the new regulations
• measures to encourage and enable a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants

This new approach is based on safety outcomes that will be underpinned by a set of essential safety requirements which all products in scope of the regulations must meet in order to be placed on the market. It will maintain and improve fire safety for consumers by better representing the safety of the product as it appears in their homes, while facilitating manufacturing innovation and a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants.

The consultation includes:

• a consultation document setting out the rationale for the new approach and the proposals
• an impact assessment setting out the estimated costs and benefits of the new approach
• a set of draft regulations to illustrate the new approach in legislative form

The evidence base supporting the consultation includes a new independent research report that assesses the fire risks of upholstered products.

The proposed policy remains subject to review and may change as a result of the evidence and views provided by stakeholders in response to this consultation.

See our news story: OPSS consults on smarter regulations in boost for business

Documents

Smarter Regulation: consultation on the new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture

PDF, 464 KB, 49 pages

Fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture: Impact assessment

PDF, 903 KB, 40 pages

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Fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture: Draft regulations

PDF, 476 KB, 28 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email [email protected]. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Published 2 August 2023
Last updated 16 October 2023 + show all updates

1. 16 October 2023

   Link added in the description to a recording of OPSS new approach stakeholder event from 18th September.

2. 2 August 2023

   First published.