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Labelling domestic upholstered furniture

Correct labelling and record keeping ensures that furniture in the UK retail supply chain can be checked for regulatory compliance.

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 contain specific labelling requirements (in addition to the technical requirements) for covers and fillings. This article describes these labelling requirements for domestic upholstered furniture displayed, sold or supplied in the UK.

In the context of this article, upholstered furniture does not include mattresses or upholstered bed bases.

The requirements apply to all upholstered furniture, and the materials used in them, supplied into the UK domestic (household) market. All upholstered furniture, including headboards, must have both the correct temporary display label and the permanent label.

Display labels (swing tags)

Each item of upholstered furniture must be fitted with a swing tag when on display or sold at a retail outlet. It is either a square green bordered label, if the cover is match resistant, or a red bordered triangular label, if the interliner route (see box 1) to compliance has been followed. The design and wording of both labels is fixed in the legal regulations and fully defined. Figures 1 and 2 show the labels that are specified in the regulations. Note that the requirement to fit a display label does not apply to pillows, scatter cushions and separately-supplied loose covers.

Permanent label

• the words 'CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE'
• the name and postcode of the first supplier of the furniture in the UK (importer or UK manufacturer)
• the batch or identification number
• date of importation (or manufacture)
• description of filling materials
• description of covering materials
• whether or not the item contains a Schedule 3 interliner.

An alternative to this is to use a shorter label containing the following information:

• the words 'CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE'
• the batch number or identification number
• whether or not the item contains a Schedule 3 interliner
• a summary of the measures taken to ensure compliance with the regulations. This includes details of which materials have been tested to the specific schedules in the regulations.

Some retailers prefer the furniture to have the shorter label, as this does not reveal the manufacturer’s name. This might be because of own branding within the store. If the shorter label is used, the final supplier (retailer) must retain records of the information that would have been on the longer label but is omitted from the shorter label. Clearly, compliance with the permanent labelling requirements requires liaison between the retailer and the supplier. The main function of the permanent label is to enable 'traceability' back up the supply chain.

Figure 1 (left): Front and back of display label cited in the UK regulations suitable for match-resistant covers. Figure 2 (right): Front and back of display label cited in the UK regulations suitable for non-match-resistant covers and furniture fitted with a compliant Schedule 3 interliner

Provision of information

The first supplier in the UK must maintain records and make them available on request to the UK enforcement agency (trading standards officers) to show how compliance with the regulations has been achieved. This includes the results of any tests that have been carried out on the furniture or its components. Evidence of how these test results relate to particular pieces of furniture must be provided, together with how any record relates to the information given on labels and batch numbers on the furniture.

In other words, there should be complete traceability that will allow a trading standards officer to isolate a specific piece of furniture in a retail store and inspect the available records to check that the materials used in the item have passed the relevant tests. Ideally, test reports should be available.