For manufacturers, importers, retailers and specifiers of upholstered furniture, there is an inherent responsibility to comply with the relevant flammability legislation for both domestic and contract environments – such as office, hospitality, educational and healthcare.
FIRA has announced further dates for its flammability course this summer to meet demand from the industry for support in this field. The course aims to help navigate the complexity of the UK’s flammability regulations, which apply to domestic furniture and requirements for contract furniture under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order (RRFSO).
Additionally, the course provides guidance on how to interpret the regulations for a specific business or product. A variety of upholstered furniture products is affected by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) and the course will also cover standards for contract furniture – BS7177 for mattresses and divans and BS7176 for non-domestic seating.
The courses will be held on Wednesday 8th July and Thursday 20th August.
Tristine Hargreaves, FIRA’s standards and regulatory manager and flammability course trainer, says: “Since the BBC investigation at the beginning of the year into non-compliant products on sale in the UK, we have seen the industry take swift action.
“Originally, the course solely focused on the UK’s flammability regulations, as they are extremely complex, and had proven to be very popular. We have recently extended the course to cover contract furniture as there are legal obligations under the RRFSO and so this is also an area that can cause confusion.
“We have had a lot of interest in this course, so we decided to set these additional dates throughout the summer.
“Everyone has the responsibility of due diligence and you could be asked to demonstrate that a product is compliant. If a product is deemed to be non-compliant, this is illegal and could result in product withdrawal from sale, product recall or prosecution.
“By the end of the day delegates should be able to assess their products to see whether they are fully compliant and avoid unnecessary recall costs or fines.”
A training certificate will be issued upon completion of the course and training notes provided to assist with future product assessments. The course also includes a tour of the FIRA Flammability Test Laboratory.
Prices for the course are £250+VAT for FIRA members and £400+VAT for non-members. Bespoke courses can be held at clients’ premises.
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