HC Deb 21 June 1988 vol 135 cc488-9W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the proposed test for fabrics under the draft furniture fire safety regulations will be ignition source one, rather than crib four ignition procedure.

Mr. Butcher

Yes.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whereabouts on a sofa or chair the crib would normally be placed when carrying out crib ignition tests on furniture.

Mr. Butcher

In the BS 5852 tests required by both the existing regulations and by the proposed new ones, the upholstery composite is represented on a perpendicular seat/back test rig. The crib is placed on the seat in contact with the back, at least 100 mm from the edge.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether flammability testing of domestic upholstery covering material is normally carried out using the crib four procedure to cause ignition.

Mr. Butcher

The only flame test applied to domestic furniture covering material both in respect of the labelling option of the 1980/83 regulations and the draft new regulations, is the simulated match of BS 5852, part 1. There is no proposal to test covering fabrics using ignition source 4, a small wooden crib.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether flammability testing of contract upholstery covering material is normally carried out using the crib four procedure to cause ignition.

Mr. Butcher

It is for the specifying authority to decide what ignition source to use in relation to any contract.

Ignition source 5 is the most widely used of the cribs detailed in BS 5852. I am not aware of any which use the crib specified as ignition source 4.

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