, Dr. Marilyn Black, Vice President and Senior Technical Advisor for Underwriters Laboratories explains how to achieve both fire safe and chemical safe furniture. Getting rid of smoke smell is quite a challenge. As the EPA launched an investigation into the chemicals, Washington state banned flame retardants from kids’ products, and California announced a move to update the state’s flammability standards, pressured by those concerned about a policy that had exposed millions of people to toxic flame retardants—also known as PBDEs—in our homes. Fortunately you can make a simple spray- or paint-on mixture at home out of easily-obtained chemicals that will help retard flame. The Alliance for Flame Retardant Free Furniture is calling on the European Commission and the EU Member States to harmonise furniture flammability requirements at a level that would not lead to flame retardants use, considering health and environmental risks. upholstered furniture without added flame retardants* Before buying furniture, verify that flame retardant chemicals have not been added. While manufacturers aren’t required to remove flame retardants from their furniture, these new requirements are a few steps closer to transparency when it comes to our furniture purchases. Upholstered furniture such as cushioned chairs, couches, ottomans and mattresses pose some of the most dangerous fire risks in your home. UPDATE: In October 2015, Macy's announced that it would stop selling furniture containing flame retardants! Fire departments respond to an average of 5,630 home structure fires, per year, in which upholstered furniture was the first item ignited according to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). Greenstreet Berman Ltd. A statistical report to investigate the effectiveness of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. This could be the end of the line for flame retardants. Fire Retardants Wash Out In Laundry Water Pollution: The chemicals used in furniture and electronics may end up on clothing, wash off in laundry, and make their way to rivers and lakes by Janet Pelley Problem: A 1975 California standard led to the use of harmful and potentially harmful flame retardant chemicals in furniture and baby products across North America.. We have been working with policy makers, scientists, and industry since 2006 to revise this standard so that fire-safe furniture without flame retardants can be made available. Smoke Odor Removal Tips. contain bromine and are the most abundantly used flame retardants. Textile manufacturers add certain chemical compounds to create flame-retardant fabrics, but you can turn any fabric into a … Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010. The new standard does not forbid flame retardants outright, and foam manufacturers need not change their recipes. Flame retardants are notorious for their disastrous human health effects, and though the fight to remove them from consumer products has been well-publicized, we still may not be as safe as we think. Mirroring the USA, the flame retardant industry bought (and buys) high-ranking officials in the UK fire sector who played a prominent role in blocking changes to the Furniture Regulations that would have made them fire-safe and also greatly reduced these chemicals in our furniture, e.g. That's because the labeling law only applies to new furniture that's manufactured this year. Toxic flame retardants in furniture soon may be a thing of the past, thanks to recent improvements to California’s flammability standards. With the new safety regulations in place my search for chemical-free furniture just became a bit easier. When fire smoke infiltrates the home, the tiny smoke particles stick to all household surfaces and get embedded into all kinds of porous materials – carpeting, furniture, fabrics, books and even paint. Depending on the application, flame retardants are used alone or in combination with other flame retardants that act as synergists to enhance fire retardant properties. Labels on new furniture made after January 1, 2015 should indicate the presence of flame retardants. Fire protection is built in already from the start; by choosing the right material for the product, These chemicals . A flame-retardant solution makes material resistant to burning when it encounters a low-energy ignition source, such as a cigarette lighter. 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