SOFFA: New bill proposed for flammability regulation for upholstered furniture in the United States
Does your company manufacture, retail or import upholstery products into the United States?
If so, you should be aware of the new Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA) proposal and consider the implications is may have on your testing regime.
On 4th October 2018, SOFFA was proposed to the United States Senate - Senate Bill 3551. The aim of this proposed senate bill is to improve product safety standards by the US Senate and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) adopting California Technical Bulletin (TB) 117-2013 as a Federal flammability standard for the whole of the United States.
Supported by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AFHA), SOFFA helps to protect against the risk of upholstered furniture fires. SOFFA is designed to drive constant improvement in the fire safety industry and will direct the use of the most stringent flammability test methods and construction standards.
SOFFA will be enforceable 180 days after date of enactment of the Act.
About California TB 117
California TB 117 concerns the smoulder resistance of barrier materials, fillings, cover fabrics and decking materials used in upholstered furniture. The standard also provides a proven test method for flammability of domestic upholstery.
While California TB 117 is used for flammability testing in the State of California, it is widely used across the United States by furniture manufacturers and their suppliers. Due to its large-scale use across the country combined with its high level of safety, California TB 117 has gained a reputation for being the most stringent flammability safety standards, hence the SOFFA proposal to elevate its status to a new national standard.
Flammability Testing Services at Eurofins | BLC
At Eurofins | BLC, we can test leather, textiles and synthetic materials for flammability.
Our scope of testing covers a variety of domestic and non-domestic products to UK, EU and US flammability regulations, including:
- Furniture
- Upholstery covers
- Interliners
- Fillings
- Clothing
- Mattresses
- Small floor coverings such as rugs
View Flammability Testing Services
Contact Eurofins | BLC today to discuss flammability testing of your consumer products and samples. Call +44 (0)1604 679999, email [email protected] or complete the web form at the bottom of this page.
28 November 2018