Fire Codes

Please check with your local fire marshal if needed, for your specific fire code needs.

BIFMA, Class A - Business and Industrial Furniture Manufacturing Association

The Business and Industrial Furniture Manufacturing Association is also accredited by ANSI to be the administrator of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO Technical Committee TC-136 Furniture. ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2011 general purpose office chairs, ANSI/BIFMA X7.1-2011 standard for formaldehyde and TVOC emissions of low-emitting office furniture and seating, ANSI/BIFMA M7.1-2011 standard test method for determining VOC emissions from office furniture systems

CAL 117 - California Technical Bulletin 117, Section E (CS 191-53)

The California Technical Bulletin 117, Section E requires testing in accordance with the same procedure as CS 191-53. Using this method, a 2” x 6” specimen is placed into the tester situated at a 45 degree angle. The surface of the test specimen is touched by a 5/8” long pencil-thin flame for a period of 1 second. The rating criteria are either “Pass” (Did Not Ignite) or “Fail” (Ignites).

FAR 25.853 (b) – Federal Aviation Regulation

Aircraft: floor covering, draperies, seat cushions, upholstery, padding, decorative, and non-decorative coated fabrics, etc.

MVSS 302 - Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

This protocol is currently in use by the automotive industry for fabrics used in vehicles. The fabric is placed in a horizontal position and allows the test flame to burn at one end. As the fabric burns away from the test flame it is gradually relieved of the heat and combustion front until within a distance of 1.5 inches from the flame. The test measures flame spread from a point 1.5 inches from the flame to 11.5 inches from the flame. Any flame spread that is 4 inches per minute or less is acceptable.

MVSS 302 –  Horizontal Burn

Sample sizes 4” x 14”, maximum 4 inches per minute burn rate.

NFPA 260 – Cigarette Ignition Resistance

Standard methods of tests and classification system for cigarette ignition resistance of components of upholstered furniture.

NFPA 701 - Small Scale Standard for Flame Tests of Textiles

Draperies, blankets, bedspreads, quilts, mattress ticking, sheets, upholstery fabrics, wall hangings, outside coverings. This recently revised test places the fabric specimen in a vertical position while a test flame is held to the lower edge for 12 seconds before the flame is removed. The test requires that any after-flame must be extinguished within 2 seconds of the removal of the test flame, that no flaming drippings touch the test chamber floor, and that the char length be limited according to the weight of the fabric.

NFPA 701 - Vertical Burn

12 second ignition, sample sizes 3.5” x 10”, maximum flame time 2 seconds, maximum burn length specified, no drop to floor.

UFAC 1 - Upholstered Furniture Action Council

This test is often referred to as the (Cigarette Test) because the purpose is to classify the fabric on it’s propensity to resist cigarette ignition when tested in combination with a standard foam cushioning material. The candidate fabric is used to cover small pieces of a standard foam cushioning material. The test pieces (fabric over the foam) are placed on a small test rig, simulating a chair back and seat. A lighted cigarette is placed in the crevice where the back and the seat of the chair meet. To intensify the heat, the cigarette is covered by a piece of cotton sheeting fabric. This test records the extent of vertical burning (char length) on the back section of the seat assembly and whether or not ignition occurred.