Federal Furniture Flammability Standards
WASHINGTON, DC – The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced that the agency has issued a final ruling that will codify the statutory requirements concerning the national furniture flammability standard. The Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA), which was passed by Congress in December of 2020. However, under the COVID-19 Regulatory Relief and Work from Home Safety Act, the CPSC established a national flammability standard for furniture.
Congress specifically mandated the adoption of California’s TB 117-2013 as a federal standard. The State of California enacted SOFFA back in 2013. Its similar technical bulletin calls for using a smolder test rather than an open flame test to ascertain upholstered furniture and other products’ fire safety.
The effective date is set for June 25, 2021. However, the date might be moved up since “a very high percentage (up to 95%) of upholstered furniture items currently marketed in the U.S. already comply with the TB 117-2013 requirements.” The CPSC believes that the effective date of June 25, 2021, will not pose any additional burden to the industry as upholstered furniture imported, manufactured, or reupholstered before or after June 25, 2021, likely already meets the requirements of California TB 117-2013. Also, most furniture inventory or on the market meets the flammability requirements.
The new law requires residential upholstered furniture that sold in the United States must comply with flammability tests as specified in TB 117-2013 starting on June 25, 2021. The products must also include a permanent label with the following statement, “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability.”
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