Since 1988, it’s been a legal requirement for all upholstered furniture to have a fire safety label. The primary purpose of the fire safety label is to say that the furniture is legally compliant with British Fire Safety regulations.
Many upholstered items contain foams, fillings and other materials which could potentially be flammable. As a result, items must have set levels of fire resistance determined through a series of flammability tests.
The fire regulations state that:
- The fillings inside materials must meet ignition requirements.
- Upholstery and covers must be cigarette and match resistant.
- A permanent label must be fitted to every new item of furniture.
- A display label must be fitted to every new furniture item at the point of sale.
Put simply, if you are going to ask a charity to collect (and reuse) your unwanted furniture, the item(s) must have a fire safety label attached. Otherwise you will have to dispose of the furniture instead of donating it.