For Immediate Release
October 21, 2003
Release # 04-012
CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles(301) 504-7052
CPSC Votes to Expand Rulemaking for Upholstered Furniture Flammability
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
voted unanimously to expand its regulatory proceeding to develop a
possible federal standard for upholstered furniture flammability
performance. The action would address the risk of residential fires
ignited by cigarettes and/or by small open flame sources (such as
candles, lighters, and matches).
"Reducing residential fires is a major goal at the Consumer
Product Safety Commission," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "New fire
reducing technologies and better cooperation from industry are making
the development of a new national standard viable. I believe a standard
for upholstered furniture will reduce home fires while remaining cost
effective and flexible for manufacturers and consumers."
Commissioner Mary Sheila Gall explained her vote by saying,
"Because the hazards of small open flame ignition and cigarette ignition
of upholstered furniture are related and should be dealt with in the
same rulemaking, I am voting to issue the advance notice of proposed
rulemaking."
Commissioner Thomas Moore said, "I hope this will help reduce the
still large proportion of fire losses resulting from cigarette ignition
of furniture and expedite the overall process of adopting a uniform
national mandatory standard for furniture flammability."
Statements by the Commissioners are available at www.cpsc.gov
The Commission's vote to address both ignition sources (cigarettes
and small open flame) follows a 1994 decision to start a standard-
setting process to address small open flame sources only. CPSC staff
developed a draft performance standard and assessed a number of
different ways for upholstered furniture to pass the tests. Recently,
the National Association of State Fire Marshals (the petitioner) and
some industry groups agreed upon the desirability of a federal standard
to address both fire hazard scenarios.
The notice will be published in the Federal Register for comment
from interested parties. The Commission will consider these comments
and other information before deciding whether to go to the next step,
which would be a notice of proposed rulemaking.
Ignitions of upholstered furniture account for more fire deaths
than any other category of products under CPSC's jurisdiction. In 1998,
furniture fire losses that could be addressed by a standard included 420
deaths, 1080 injuries, and $120 million in property damage. Total
estimated societal costs were about $2.5 billion. Most furniture fire
losses (including 340 deaths in 1998) involve ignitions by smoldering
cigarettes. A significant number involve ignitions by small open flame
sources like lighters, matches and candles. These small open flame
fires, which are typically started by young children playing with
lighters or matches, killed 80 people in 1998.
There already is an industry voluntary standard for cigarette
ignition resistance. Most upholstered furniture meets that voluntary
standard. However, there is no nationwide standard or other industry
program addressing open flame ignition.
At a September 24, 2003, CPSC public meeting, upholstered
furniture and related industry groups recommended that the Commission
promulgate a mandatory rule addressing both cigarette and small open
flame ignition. A federal mandatory standard would apply to imports as
well as domestic products.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the
public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000
types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and
property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700
billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families
from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The
CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs,
power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly
to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with
consumer products over the past 30 years.