FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 22, 2004
Release # 05-075
CPSC Media Contacts: Eric Criss, (301) 504-7908 and Ken Giles, (301) 504-7052
CPSC Votes to Propose Fire Safety Standard for Mattresses and to
Initiate Rulemaking for Bedclothes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
voted unanimously (2 to 0) on Tuesday to issue a proposed safety
standard to reduce deaths and injuries from fires involving mattresses.
The proposed standard for mattresses addresses fires ignited by an open
flame. CPSC also voted to issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking
to develop a separate safety standard to address bedclothes (such as
blankets, comforters, and pillows) flammability.
"This is a significant step toward reducing deaths and injuries from
mattress fires," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "This is a top
priority at CPSC. Voting for this proposed mattress standard means we
are pretty far down the road toward a final standard."
CPSC Commissioner Thomas Moore added, "This proposed standard will lead
to mattresses that are a dramatic improvement, in terms of fire
resistance and lives saved, over most mattresses currently on the
market."
The proposed mattress standard will be published in the Federal
Register, requesting public comment for a period of 75 days. An
opportunity for oral testimony will also be scheduled.
From 1995 through 1999, mattresses and bedding were the first items to
ignite in an estimated 19,400 residential fires each year. These fires
resulted in an estimated 440 deaths, 2,230 injuries and $273.9 million
property losses annually. CPSC staff estimates that most of these deaths
and injuries would be addressed by the proposed standard.
Fires involving mattresses of traditional constructions can reach
flashover (when the entire contents of the room ignite) in less than 5
minutes. The proposed mattress standard would limit the size of the fire
and prevent or delay the time to flashover. This would allow people more
time to discover and escape the fire, reducing deaths and injuries.
Staff believes that materials are commercially available that can be
used to produce comfortable, practical, and reasonably-priced mattresses
with significantly improved fire performance.
The CPSC rulemaking proceeding to set flammability standards for
bedclothes will begin with a notice in the Federal Register requesting
public comments on the fire risks and possible approaches to reducing
them. Bedclothes are the first item to ignite in about 80 percent of
mattress and bedding fires and can contribute substantially to the risks
associated with mattress/bedding fires.