Below are Questions and Answers Concerning the new Fire Standard, which goes
into effect on July 1, 2007. The information below was taken directly from the
Mattress Regulations Web site.
Q: I know that my mattress meets the new fire standard, but are the chemicals
safe?
A: In research conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), they
concluded that a number of commercially available flame retardant materials that
can be used to meet the new standard “are not likely to
present a hazard to consumers, workers, or the environment.”
In drafting the new open-flame mattress standard, CPSC researched the
potential chronic health risks for a variety of inherently flame resistant
materials and flame resistant chemicals that are available to meet the new
standard. These include several materials that the public has used safely in
other consumer products for decades1.
For more details on the CPSC’s flame resistant chemical safety analysis,
read the notice that the CPSC published in the Federal Register on March 15,
2006 analyzing the entire standard.
Q: Will any of the flame resistant chemicals that the CPSC examined increase the
risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?
A: No. The CPSC has concluded that none of the flame resistant materials it
researched will contribute to SIDS. In fact, the CPSC cited a four-year study
conducted in the United Kingdom and reviewed by a number of expert panels in the
UK and the U.S., in which the expert panels concluded that there is "no
credible evidence" that any of the flame resistant chemicals included in
the CPSC's review contribute to SIDS.
Q: Will the flame retardant materials aggravate allergies or asthma in
chemically-sensitive people?
A: The CPSC has concluded that there is no evidence to suggest that exposure to
flame retardant chemicals used in some mattress components would contribute to
or exacerbate allergies, asthma or multiple chemical-sensitivity in consumers.
The CPSC found that the materials and chemicals under consideration for use
in mattresses to meet the new flammability standard are generally non-volatile,
are not associated with fragrances or odors, and are not derived from biological
materials.
Concerned consumers will be further reassured by the fact that the CPSC noted
that in most cases, most flame resistant materials are used
within the mattress itself The CPSC stated that by using the materials either
within the mattress or in a manner such that the chemicals are bonded to the
materials in an effective manner, consumer exposure to the materials and any
attendant risk to such exposure would be minimized.
Q: Will the mattress industry need to use mattress foam that contains either
chlorinated or brominated fire retardant chemicals, the use of which a number of
states either have banned or are considering banning?
A: No. To meet the new standard, U.S. mattress producers are using a number of
materials technologies that do not involve the use of flame resistant-treated
foam.
Furthermore, as a practical matter, the penta version of a group of
brominated fire retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (or PBDEs) is
no longer used to treat any foams made in the United States because U.S.
production of penta ended prior to January 2005.
Q: How will mattress manufacturers change their products to comply with the new
standard?
A: A common technique used by most mattress producers today to meet the new
standard is to enclose the cushioning material within a mattress with a barrier
fabric that blocks either heat, oxygen or both from reaching the cushioning
material. These fabrics may be woven, knit or non-woven products. Mattress
producers usually sew the barrier fabric into the mattress between the ticking
cover and the interior cushioning material.
Q: Why is this new mattress standard necessary?
A: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that the new standard
may eliminate up to 75 percent of the 330 deaths and 1,680 injuries that occur
annually from mattress fires.
Q: How will these new compliant mattresses improve product safety?
A: Many people don’t realize that some non-compliant mattresses ignited by an
open-flame heat source (e.g. lighters, matches, and candles) can result in a
deadly fire in a matter of a few minutes. About one-third of all mattress
fatalities are attributed to mattress fires that ‘flashover’ from the
bedroom to other rooms of the home. The new standard limits the peak rate of
heat that can be released during the initial phase after a mattress catches
fire, thus reducing the risk of flashover and allowing people more time to
escape the fire.
Q: Will the materials used in mattresses to meet the new open-flame standard
make new mattresses less comfortable?
A: No. Each mattress manufacturer decides how to comply with the new national
standard, by working with material suppliers to develop and test mattresses that
will meet the new standard, yet continue to provide the same level of comfort
and support that consumers expect.
Q: Aren't there existing standards regulating mattress flammability?
A: The highly-effective federal cigarette-ignition standard has been in place
since the early 1970s. The new standard builds upon its success and takes
product safety one step further by addressing mattress fires ignited by
open-flame heat sources (e.g. lighters, matches, and candles). The new
open-flame mattress standard closely resembles a similar standard implemented in
2005 in California.
Q: How will I know that a mattress meets the new standard?
A: The rule will become effective on July 1, 2007 and applies to all mattress
sets manufactured in the United States or imported on or after that date. The
standard requires that each mattress set bear a permanent label stating that the
mattress complies with the standard.
Q: Will this new standard increase the price of mattresses for consumers?
A: The mattress industry is committed to producing and selling products that are
safe, comfortable, durable and affordable. Consumers can continue to expect the
same wide-range of product selections that they currently enjoy, available at
price points for every budget.
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