1 This test procedure prescribes methods for examining
the ignitability, in defined circumstances, of an assembly of upholstery
materials. These materials are combined together in a way intended
to be generally representative of their end use in upholstered seating,
and the ignition sources are a smouldering cigarette and a flame representing
a burning match.
1.1 Thus, the potential ignitability of a particular
cover, filling and interliner in combination can be assessed and this
will allow the development of specifications concerned with ignition
by smokers' materials. However, there are two important limitations,
as follows:
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.1 the tests are concerned only with ignitability,
and any controls of fire hazard have to consider, in addition, other
aspects of fire performance such as rate of fire development, heat
output, rate and quantity of smoke production and toxic gas evolution.
Ideally, any attempts to reduce ignitability ought not to affect these
other properties adversely; and
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.2 the tests only measure the ignitability of
a combination of materials used in upholstered seating and not of
a particular finished item of furniture incorporating these materials.
They give an indication of, but cannot guarantee, the ignition behaviour
of the finished item of furniture. This limitation occurs because
design features of the furniture can greatly affect its fire properties;
any ignitability tests of a piece of furniture would therefore need
to be carried out on the actual item and not on component materials
or mock-ups. However, limited information on ignitability more specifically
related to an intended design may be obtained, as indicated in paragraphs
2 and 3.
2 This test procedure prescribes laboratory tests
for an assembly of materials which will give general guidance on the
ignitability of finished furniture. Where more specific information
is required, or in critical areas of end use, the principles may be
applied to complete items or components of furniture or to suitably
modified test assemblies, some examples of which are given below.
In such cases the sources of ignition described in paragraphs 4.2
and 4.3 of appendix 1 may be applied at positions which, as a general
rule, correspond to those where the hazard of ignition occurs in use.
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Example 1: If a chair were to have a gap between
the seat and back cushions, the placement of ignition sources in the
angle of the test apparatus would be inappropriate. Instead, face
ignition, where the sources are placed at the centre of the horizontal
and vertical surfaces, would be more meaningful.
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Example 2: The test apparatus may be used to model
the junction of any vertical and horizontal surfaces so that both
arm and back constructions, if different, may be tested separately
in conjunction with the seat.
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Example 3: The use of different materials in a
back and seat of a chair may be reproduced in the test, two different
cover fabrics being joined by sewing or staples behind the hinge bar.
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Example 4: If, in the final design, a loose cushion
is to be placed on an upholstered seat platform, additional cigarette
traps are produced between the loose cushion and the surrounding upholstery.
This may be examined by constructing a loose cushion of the appropriate
materials measuring 500 ± 5 mm x 75 ± 2 mm to be placed
on top of the horizontal surface of the normally assembled test arrangement.
3 Another way in which this test principle might be used is
to give information about individual materials to be used in a combination. For example,
the ability of a cover material to provide protection against ignition can be indicated
by testing it in combination with a substrate of known flammability; standard
non-flame-retardant flexible polyether foam with a density of about 22 kg/m3
has been found to be suitable. Such information about the individual materials does not
eliminate the need to test the actual combination, but it can help in the short-listing
of material combinations and so reduce the overall amount of testing required.