According to recent research, fires in domestic households often start due to furniture, upholstery, and mattresses. These mattresses have flammable components that contribute to the quick spread of fire, resulting in many fatalities. Therefore, it’s no secret that the UK’s Furniture and Furnishing department strictly checks mattresses and only approves fire retardant mattresses that pass these flammability tests.

Here’s a discussion on what makes fire retardant mattresses anti-flammable and if they are effective. Scroll down and read to find out if fire retardant mattresses actually work.

How Do Fire Retardant Mattresses Work?

As the name suggests, fire retardant mattresses reduce the risk of a mattress burning during a house fire by stopping or delaying the spread of fire. But how do fire retardant mattresses actually work? Here’s a guide on how fire retardant mattresses work in case of a house fire.

 

• Some fire retardant mattresses cool down the material. Chemicals applied to mattresses form a protective layer on the mattress’s surface. Therefore, they release carbon dioxide and water, stopping the flame’s chemical reaction.
• Other fire retardant mattresses break the polymers in the layers of mattresses and use them to stop the fire during combustion.

How Are Mattresses Turned into Fire Retardant Mattresses?

Mattress manufacturers must add certain chemicals and materials to mattresses to make them anti-flammable. These chemicals include PentaBDE (pentabrominated diphenyl ether), TDCPP (Chlorinated Tris), Melamine, Vinylidene Chloride, etc. However, these chemicals are artificial and can have harmful effects on human health. But does that mean mattress manufacturers should stop using fire retardant chemicals?

 

No, they can use these chemicals in a controlled amount for effective properties. In addition, mattress manufacturers can use inert chemicals and materials like wool, latex, rayon, and more. When mattress manufacturers apply these to the top layer of mattresses, it slows down or stops the spread of fire.

What Dangers Do Flame Retardant Chemicals Have?

As discussed above, flame retardant chemicals can have potentially harmful effects on humans and even animals. These chemicals can affect the immune system, disrupt the production of the endocrine and thyroid hormones and even lead to cancer.

 

In addition, boric acid can result in long-term kidney damage, as it’s a water-soluble chemical that dissolves in the body. Melamine is also water-soluble, and can cause liver cancer and bladder damage. Moreover, exposure to Vinylidene Chloride can result in nervous system issues, causing spasms and convulsions.

Are Fire Retardant Mattresses Always Effective?

Your manufactured fire retardant mattress might not be 100% fire resistant, even if you’re using fire retardant chemicals. Therefore, it’s essential to get it approved by the UK Furniture and Furnishings Department before supplying it to the customers.

 

Your new manufactured mattresses might burn less slowly than old mattresses, giving people more time to escape. However, they can still burn if you ignite them, so consumers must follow safety guidelines such as not smoking on mattresses or placing heaters near them.

Using Chemicals in Mattress or on Covers—which is better?

Mattress manufacturers know that the most common way to turn mattresses into fire retardant mattresses is to use the right chemicals or materials. But is that the only way to do that? Some mattresses manufacturers also opt for another option, which is equally effective but allows consumers to remove the chemicals if they don’t want it. This option is adding a mattress cover that includes fire retardant chemicals. These covers are barriers against fire, preventing the fire from reaching the mattress.

 

According to the UK’s fire safety regulations, all mattresses should have some form of fire retardant components. This allows mattress manufacturers to add these chemicals to the foam mix or spray them on the finished mattress. In addition, these manufacturers can mix chemicals in Latex or put a fire-retardant cover on the mattress. There are no accurate statistics on which method is more effective and safe, allowing mattress manufacturers to use any of these methods to create fire-retardant mattresses.

What Materials Should Mattress Manufacturers Avoid?

As a mattress manufacturer, it’s essential to add natural and safe fire-retardant chemicals to your mattresses. However, you can also take additional steps to make your mattress anti-flammable. These steps include removing any flammable components and chemicals from the mattress.

 

Avoid using memory foam or Polyurethane foam in the manufacturing process, as these are petroleum-based products that can easily catch fire. Even though foam is still widely-used due to its low cost, mattress manufacturers should start switching to alternatives that don’t burn as fast.

Get Flammability Testing Services in the UK

Fire retardant mattresses can effectively stop or slow down fires. Therefore, getting flammability tests for your manufactured mattresses is essential to prepare them for government approval and safe consumer use. IFS Laboratories offers flammability testing services, where they test mattresses and covers to ensure they pass the British, European and International Standards.

 

Reach out to them and get flammability testing and ensure that your mattresses are, in fact, fire retardant.

About the Author

The author is a lab technician affiliated with IFS Laboratories. She has been performing environmental flammability testing for the past few years and has helped mattresses, furniture, and upholstery manufacturers meet industry standards.

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