The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988

Interpretation U.K.

3.—(1) In these Regulations–

“BS 3379” means the British Standard Specification for flexible urethane foam for loadbearing applications BS 3379: 1975 published by the British Standards Institution on 30th May 1975, as amended on 28th April 1978(1), subject to any further amendments made thereto and approved by the Secretary of State;

“BS 5651” means the British Standard Specification for cleansing and wetting procedures for use in the assessment of the effect of cleansing and wetting on the flammability of textiles and fabric assemblies BS 5651: 1978 published by the British Standards Institution on 29th December 1978(2) subject to any amendments made thereto and approved by the Secretary of State;

“BS 5852: Part 1” means the British Standard for fire tests for furniture BS 5852: Part 1: 1979 published by the British Standards Institution and which came into effect on 30th November 1979(3) subject to any amendments made thereto and approved by the Secretary of State;

“BS 5852: Part 2” means the British Standard for fire tests for furniture BS 5852: Part 2: 1982 published by the British Standards Institution and which came into effect on 31st August 1982(4) subject to any amendments made thereto and approved by the Secretary of State;

“BS 6807” means the British Standard Methods of test for the ignitability of mattresses with primary and secondary sources of ignition BS 6807: 1986 published by the British Standards Institution and which came into effect on 31st December 1986(5) subject to any amendments made thereto and approved by the Secretary of State;

F1 ...

“cushions” (except in (a) of the definition of “relevant ignitability test” in this paragraph [F2 and in the definition of “invisible part” in relation to covers and permanent covers in this sub-paragraph]) means scatter cushions and cushions of the kind commonly used on the seats of wooden chairs;

“dwelling” includes any caravan, but does not include boats or any other vessels or motor vehicles;

“filling material” means any material used for filling or stuffing the upholstered parts of furniture or for filling, bulking-out or stuffing such articles as cushions, mattresses and pillows;

“furniture” means–

(a)

furniture of any description which is ordinarily intended for private use in a dwelling and includes beds and divans (including the bases and headboards of both), sofa-beds, children’s furniture, cots (including carry-cots, playpens, prams and pushchairs and any other article of a like nature and use designed to contain a baby or small child), cushions, high-chairs, mattresses (of any size) and pillows, but does not include bedding or floor coverings (including carpets and mats);

(b)

furniture which is ordinarily intended for private use in the open air but which is also suitable for use in a dwelling; and

(c)

any collection of components designed or intended to be assembled into any article of furniture defined in subparagraphs (a) and (b) above;

and “furniture” includes furniture mentioned in regulation 14(1) (second-hand furniture)–

• in regulations 4, 7 and 15, from 1st November 1988;

• in regulations 8(4), 9 and 14, from 1st March 1990;

• in regulations 5, 6 and 8(1)–(3) from 1st March 1993.

[F3 “invisible part” in relation to covers and permanent covers means—

(a)

any part of the cover on that part of the furniture on which any back, arm or seat cushions are intended to rest;

(b)

the underside or reverse side of any seat or back cushions which are not designed to be reversible;

(c)

the underside of any arm cushions which are not designed to be reversible and which are secured in such a way that they cannot be displaced in normal use; and

(d)

the dust cover on the underside of the article of furniture,

and “visible part” in relation to covers and permanent covers means any part of the cover other than an invisible part]

F1 ...

“relevant ignitability test” in relation to any filling which–

(a)

consists solely of polyurethane foam in slab or cushion form means the test specified in Part I of Schedule 1 to these Regulations;

(b)

consists solely of polyurethane foam in crumb form means the test specified in Part II of Schedule 1 to these Regulations;

(c)

consists solely of latex rubber foam means the test specified in Part III of Schedule 1 to these Regulations;

(d)

consists of a single filling material other than the materials mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above means the test specified in Part I of Schedule 2 to these Regulations;

(e)

consists of more than one filling material means either:–

(i)

the test specified in Part I of Schedule 2 to these Regulations for each individual filling material tested separately; or

(ii)

the appropriate test specified in Part II, III or IV of that Schedule for the filling material tested as a composite:

provided that if the filling material includes foam of any of the kinds mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above, the relevant ignitability test for that part of the filling which consists of such foam shall be the test (or tests) specified in paragraph (a), (b) or (c), as the case may be;

“supply”, where the context so admits, includes offering and agreeing to supply and exposing and possessing for supply, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.

(2) For the purposes of these Regulations any references in BS 3379, BS 5651, BS 5852: Part 1, BS 5852: Part 2 or BS 6807 to any other British Standards shall be construed as references to those other British Standards as they had effect on 28th April 1978, 29th December 1978, 30th November 1979, 31st August 1982 and 31st December 1986 respectively or as they had effect on those dates respectively subject to amendments made to them by the British Standards Institution and approved by the Secretary of State.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 3(1) revoked (1.3.1990) by The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/2358), regs. 1(2), 4(b)

F2 Words in reg. 3(1) inserted (1.3.1990) by The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/2358), regs. 1(2), 4(a)

F3 Words in reg. 3(1) inserted (1.3.1990) by The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/2358), regs. 1(2), 4(c)

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 3 in force at 1.11.1988, see reg. 1(2)(a)

(1)

ISBN 0 580 08189 3.

(2)

ISBN 0 580 10449 4.

(3)

ISBN 0 580 11106 7.

(4)

ISBN 0 580 12842 3.

(5)

ISBN 0 580 15542 0.