Enforcement of the UK Furniture Fire and Safety Regulations 1988

Enforcement of the UKFurniture Fire and Safety Regulations 1988 • Jenny Stubbings Specialist Trading Standards Officer – Safety • Essex County Council • 7 December 2006

Trading Standards • What do we do: • Help protect the public and honest businesses from rogue traders and illegal practices

Trading Standards • It is a team that advise, persuade and when necessary prosecute • We are concerned with the law that governs goods and services which are bought, hired and sold

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 as amended • One of the pieces of legislation that we enforce is “The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 as amended” • Why was this legislation introduced

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 as amended • The regulations set stringent levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture unique in Europe

Enforcement in the UK Local Authority Trading Standards Has Powers to • Demand documents • Search premises • Seize goods • Suspend products • Make test purchases • Investigate and Prosecute

Enforcement Issues • Look for the label • Look at the records • Tie back to the manufacturer • Where we think there is a problem, test purchase or seize and test

Display Labels (Swing tags) front reverse

Permanent Label • It is an offence to not have this label attached

Example

What do we want to achieve? • To continue to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from house fires in the UK • Compliant furniture being sold in the UK • The UK currently leads Europe in the terms of the Furniture Flammability Regulations and Trading Standards would like to see the rules extended throughout the EU

Any Questions? • Any questions?

Enforcement of the UK Furniture Fire and Safety Regulations 1988