BS 5852-2 Fire Tests for Furniture - Part 2: Flammability of Upholstered Composites for Sitting with Burning Sources

EUROLAB laboratory provides testing and compliance services within the scope of BS 5852-2 standard. Developed by the British Standards Institute (BSI), this part of the BS 5852 standard is used to evaluate the flammability of material combinations, such as covers and paddings used in upholstered seats, when exposed to gas flames and small wooden cradles with different ignition sources.

The thermal output of the ignition sources will be approximately one lit match on four sheets of a full-size newspaper.

In the UK, all items of indoor upholstered furniture must comply with the 1989, 1993 and 2010 amendments and the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The regulation specifies what technical fire methods should be used for a piece of furniture or its components, the requirements, labeling and how often tests should be done. In some cases, the Law also imposes requirements beyond those specified in the testing standards to which it refers.

Tests are performed in a test cabinet with calibrated airflow. The cover fabric and padding are put on a test setup to create a small sofa at a 90º angle between the seat and back.

The ignition sources are located at the junction between the seat and the back. There are six different ignition sources numbered 2-7. The ignition sources are 2-3 gas flames and the ignition sources are 4-7 wooden cradles (the higher the number the larger the gas flame/cradle).

During gas flame tests, the test setup is not allowed to smolder for more than 30 minutes (60 minutes for wooden cradles) from the start of the test. The test setup is not permitted to show evidence of charring more than 100 mm in any direction upwards from the ignition source.

Gas flames are extinguished after 40 seconds (ignition source 2) or 70 seconds (ignition source 3). It is not allowed to continue the flame for more than 120 seconds after removing the burner tube. It is not allowed to continue the flame for more than 4 minutes after the test has started with ignition source 5-6 (7 minutes with ignition source 13-10).

No method is yet available for these composites that uses realistic shapes to measure ignition levels on a continuous scale, and as a result, the methods used in this standard provide a range of fixed-level ignition/non-ignition results. A smoldering source is used, along with a series of flame sources that increase in energy approximately twice as per each step. Thus, a level representing the ignition limit can be associated with a particular structure.

While the levels do not form a continuous series, they provide more information than an arbitrary single go/no go result and therefore allow smaller variations in flammability to relate to actual hazards. The end of this assessment is intended to be part of a much more comprehensive fire hazard assessment once the ongoing work on fire development and fire smoke and toxic hazards is complete.

Our organization also provides testing services for BS 5852-2 Fire Tests for Furniture - Part 2: Flammability of Upholstered Composites for Sitting with Burning Sources, within the framework of laboratory services of materials. Do not hesitate to contact our organization EUROLAB for BS 5852-2 testing.