Proposed Update to the UK Furniture and Furnishing Flammability Requirements

22nd January 2025 a Policy Paper was published following the consultation for a Smarter Regulation: Fire Safety of Domestic Upholstered Furniture.

The UK Government believes that the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture must be reformed and updated. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (FFRs) have contributed significantly to protecting consumers for more than three decades but are out of step with modern approaches to product safety and are increasingly a potential barrier to innovation and the circular economy. Work has continued over time and involving both Government and stakeholders to collect evidence to inform change including reduction of chemical flame retardants (CFRs) used to ensure that upholstered furniture passes flammability tests.

This work coincides with the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill as announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July and introduced in Parliament on 4 September, preserving the UK reputation for protecting consumers.

The UK Government will provide an update later this year, setting out the final position on the remaining issues highlighted in this document and a roadmap for implementing changes. However, the Government will be taking immediate action to amend the FFRs based on evidence collected in consultation responses. Changes to the existing legislation will be made as soon as parliamentary time allows and will take effect six months later, in line with obligations under the UK’s World Trade Organisation commitments. The amendments are as follows:

• Remove the requirement for manufacturers to affix a display label to new products, reflecting the limited value of the display label.
• Extend the time frame for instituting legal proceedings from 6 – 12 months, providing the right tools for effective enforcement.
• Remove certain baby and children’s products from scope of the FFRs, where evidence supports their removal from scope. This will reduce babies’ and children’s exposure to CFRs where the risk of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals is greater than the fire risk posed by those products.

For more information refer to the link below:
Smarter Regulation: Fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture - GOV.UK

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