Fire safety and furniture textiles: fire classes and documentation
Why are upholstered furniture for commercial and public spaces subject to special fire requirements
An upholstered item is from a fire perspective a large amount of combustible material in one place — foam filling and textile can ignite quickly and develop strong smoke. Therefore specific requirements have been set for how upholstery fabrics and padding must resist ignition especially for furniture in commercial buildings institutions and other places where many people stay. As an upholsterer you must know these requirements and be able to select and document materials that meet them.
§EN 1021: the standard for flammability
The European standard for assessing upholstered furniture flammability consists of two parts. EN 1021-1 tests the furniture's resistance to a glowing cigarette as a source of ignition, while EN 1021-2 tests resistance to a flame equivalent to a match flame applied for up to 15 seconds. The furniture must not continue to glow or burn uncontrollably after the ignition source is removed. Furniture sold to private consumers in large parts of Europe must at minimum be able to pass the cigarette test; furniture for the contract market — business, institutions and public space — is often subjected to both tests and tightened requirements.
| Standard | Ignition source | What is tested? |
|---|---|---|
| EN 1021-1 | Glowing cigarette | Whether the furniture ignites through glow-contact |
| EN 1021-2 | Flame equivalent to matches | Whether the furniture ignites and continues to burn after brief flame exposure |
§The contract market makes tougher demands
Furniture intended for use in offices, schools, hospitals, care homes and other public and commercial spaces falls under what the industry calls the contract market. Here there are often specific requirements for safety, strength and durability — including fire requirements — set by the public or private buyer. Denmark's building regulations BR18 also set overarching requirements for fire safety in the building itself and its furnishings, and for certain building types, the fire properties of furniture are included in the overall fire strategy for the space.
§Fire-retardant treatment — a balance
Some furniture fabrics and foam types achieve their fire class by means of chemical flame retardants added in production. This provides better fire resistance, but several flame-retardant chemicals are at the same time suspected of being health and environmentally harmful, which has led parts of the industry to work on finding fire-safe solutions with fewer or no added flame retardants – for example via tighter weaves, wool fibres with natural fire resistance or other material choices. It is a balance between fire safety and chemical content that you as a professional must have a view on.
§Quality marks as extra safety
Beyond the legally required and contractual requirements, there are voluntary Danish quality and safety marks for furniture, including Møbelfakta, which sets requirements for furniture quality, safety and environmental impact beyond minimum legislation. Knowing about such marking schemes gives you an extra tool when advising customers seeking documented quality.
“A piece of furniture that looks nice in the showroom but does not meet the fire requirements in an institution is not a finished product — it is a risk waiting to be discovered.”