Flame Retardant Fabrics; The reason they exist

Fire safety is not the first thing most people think of when buying new curtains, bed runners or furniture. However, since the introduction of the 2005 Fire Safety Order (RRFSO), the onus is placed on your establishment's Responsible Person to ensure that any item they buy complies with the hazard associated with the building's end-use.

Mitre work with all major flame retardant fabric suppliers, so we can supply soft furnishings products that will meet all your needs.

Here we look at why it is important to use fire retardant fabrics when buying curtains, bed runners and other soft furnishings products.

Flame retardant fabrics; How they help

Fabrics used in most public buildings are identified as a potential fire hazard and as such they are required to be certified as flame retardant.

Using fire or flame retardant fabrics helps in two ways:

• They burn slowly / self-extinguish and so limit the spread of fire
• They help reduce the heat build up and so prevent rapid fire development (also known as flashovers)

Our video shows how quickly a fire can develop on non-flame retardant fabrics vs. flame retardant fabrics:

The different types of flame retardant fabrics

There are two main types of flame retardant fabrics; inherent fabrics and coated fabrics.

• Inherent fabrics are woven by using a yarn that has been scientifically modified to reduce its flammability. As a result, the flame retardancy will last the life of the material, giving you the certainty that the fabric always meets legal requirements.
• Coated fabrics are fire retardant because a "topical" treatment is applied to the reverse of the fabric to reduce flammability. There are a wide range of FR treated fabrics available but it is important to note that the treatment will diminish over time and isn't suitable for washing.

Examples of Key British Standards

Your environment and its relative factors of risks (fire access, level of occupancy, fire detection systems, noise, mobility...) determine the standards (BS) your establishment needs to adhere to.

As a general rule, the FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) usually classifies hotels, restaurants and places of entertainment as 'Medium Hazard'; whereas offices, museums, and schools, including universities and colleges, are classified as 'Low Hazard'.

Knowing which category your establishment belongs to will help you determine which British Standard (BS) you need to look for when buying soft furnishing products. However it is important to bear in mind that the fire safety risk assessment may identify that a product should be assigned to either a lower or higher level.