Fire Safety Regulations
Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010
Overview
Fire safety regulations play an essential role in hospitality and commercial furniture projects. They protect guests, staff, and property while reducing operational risk. Hotels, restaurants, and public spaces must use furniture that meets strict fire resistance standards.
However, requirements vary by country and project type. Therefore, designers and procurement teams should understand compliance rules before sourcing furniture.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988, amended in 1989, 1993, and 2010, define fire resistance standards for domestic upholstered furniture and related products in the UK. These Regulations set out the responsibilities of manufacturers, importers, and suppliers.
This page provides a general overview only and does not replace the official legal text. For authoritative guidance, suppliers should consult the Regulations and the FIRA Guide.
Enforcement and Guidance
Trading Standards enforces the Regulations in the UK. Businesses can contact their local Trading Standards office for advice and clarification.
Local councils manage these offices and offer guidance through websites, phone services, or in-person support. Official statutory instruments and the FIRA Guide provide further clarification on compliance and testing standards.
Key Compliance Requirements
The Regulations focus on six main requirements:
Filling materials must meet ignition resistance standards.
Upholstery composites must resist ignition from a smouldering cigarette.
Furniture covers must resist ignition from a match, with limited exceptions.
Manufacturers must attach a permanent label to each item, except mattresses and bed bases.
Retailers must display a fire safety label at the point of sale, with specific exceptions.
The first supplier in the UK must keep compliance records for five years.
Who Must Comply
The Regulations apply to all businesses in the furniture supply chain, including:
Furniture manufacturers
Importers and retailers
Upholstery and filling material suppliers
Re-upholstery and re-covering services
Second-hand furniture sellers, auctioneers, and charities
They also apply to businesses that hire out furniture, including landlords, holiday accommodation providers, and letting agents.
Responsibility for compliance rests with the first supplier of domestic upholstered furniture in the UK. This may be the manufacturer, importer, or retailer, depending on how the product enters the market.
Product Categories Covered
The Regulations cover six product groups, including:
Upholstered seating such as chairs, sofas, stools, futons, bean bags, and floor cushions
Nursery and children’s upholstered furniture
Self-assembly upholstered furniture
Second-hand upholstered furniture
Upholstered headboards, footboards, and bed side rails
Cane furniture that contains upholstery
They also cover certain outdoor furniture used in dwellings, such as homes and caravans.
In addition, the Regulations apply to filling materials used in mattresses, divans, pillows, scatter cushions, and seat pads.
Products Excluded
The Regulations do not apply to:
Furniture manufactured before 1950
Furniture made specifically for export
Sleeping bags and bedding such as duvets and pillowcases
Curtains and carpets
However, these products remain subject to the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
Testing Requirements
Manufacturers, importers, and retailers must ensure that:
Foam fillings meet Schedule 1 requirements
Non-foam fillings meet Schedule 2 requirements
Composite fillings comply through individual or combined testing
Upholstery composites pass the cigarette test
Covers pass the match test
The FIRA Guide explains all testing procedures in detail.
Labelling
Display Labels
Display labels must appear on all new furniture at the point of sale, except for certain listed items such as mattresses and loose covers.
Furniture sold as a set must carry a label on each item. The label must appear in a visible location and remain easy to read.
Permanent Labels
Permanent labels help enforcement officers confirm compliance. Manufacturers must attach these labels to most furniture items, excluding mattresses and bed bases.
Manufacturers can choose between a full or short label format, as defined in Schedule 7 of the Regulations.
Record Keeping
Manufacturers, importers, and retailers must keep records for five years, including:
Supplier declarations
Test reports
Links between test results and products
Batch numbers and labels
Retailer Responsibilities
Retailers must obtain full product details when furniture carries only a short label. This includes supplier details, manufacture date, and material descriptions.
Retailers should also request a Certificate of Compliance from the manufacturer or importer.