I am notifying Parliament today of the publication of a policy paper providing an update on progress in reviewing the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture.
The policy paper sets out important changes we are making now to amend the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (the FFRs), and our plans moving forward.
The regulations were introduced as a safety measure to respond to the increasing number of furniture fire-related deaths from the 1960s to the 1980s. The FFRs have significantly contributed to the reduction in the number of fire deaths since their introduction, but it is important to update the regulations to keep pace with product innovation. Evidence has also emerged over a number of years about the risks associated with the chemical flame retardants used to pass flammability tests.
The paper sets out the Government’s intentions for the implementation of a new regulatory approach, highlights areas of broad stakeholder consensus and provides an update on the outstanding challenges. We will work with businesses, trade associations and other key stakeholders this year to finalise key elements of the policy.
Ahead of that work, the Government will act now to remove a number of baby products from scope of the FFRs. The products being removed are not exposed to the same risks of accidental ignition, by cigarettes or similar ignition sources, as the items of furniture that will remain in scope. This change enables us to reduce the risk of exposure to chemical flame retardants to babies and young children at a significant stage in their development, where the fire risk is lower than the chemical exposure risk. The fire safety of these products will still be regulated, by the general product safety regulations.
We will also remove the requirement to attach a display label, reducing labelling costs to businesses without impacting on consumer safety and increase the time limit for enforcement authorities to institute legal proceedings from six to twelve months.
Alongside the policy paper, we will also publish a summary of responses to the consultation “Smarter Regulation: The new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture”, held last year by the previous Government.
I will place copies of the policy paper in the Libraries of both Houses, and it will be published on gov.uk.
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