Furnishings fire standards

[heirloom]

As a retailer we are now responsible for fire safety standards/testing and can not rely solely on manufacturers certificates we stock a mattress which are stated as CE marked and class 1 medical device under directive CE42/EEC/G.  Another mattress we have is passed under British Standard 7177. Does the first standard (CE42/EEC/G) meet the BS7177 standard, my concern being the first being classed as a medical product is avoiding the BS7177 standard.

Can any one help?

Many thanks

David Barrow

[wee brian]

Its kind of complicated.

The Furniture and Furnishings regulations apply to domestic furniture and refer to BS 7177

The regs do not apply to comercial furniture or Medical devices (hospital beds/ wheelchair cushions etc)

As I understand it you must not sell the CE marked Mattress to domestic users without doing the F&F regs test.
It may meet the NHS standard for matreses - but I'm not familiar with that.

BERR issues a guide to the F&F Regs http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file24685.pdf

[heirloom]

Thank you Brian, the mattress CE marked is the largest global manufacturer of memory foam mattresses they recently pulled me up on description on our site, they quoted there fire standards but at no time did they mention BS7177. This is the reason for my investigation as trading standards are now very hot on this I am wondering what will happen when BS7177 can not be supplied for this product.

[Fishy]

You could try contacting the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA - www.fira.co.uk).  I know they do fire testing so they might be able to advise.