Upholstered Furniture Main Task Group Meeting Agenda Call to Order.

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1 Upholstered Furniture Main Task Group Meeting Agenda October 1, 2015, 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Courtyard by Marriott Washington DC/Foggy Bottom th Street NW Washington, DC Call to Order. Call meeting to order by Task Group Chair G. Damant. 2. Introductions. 3. Approval of the July 20, 2015 meeting minutes. (attached) 4. Review of draft shell document. (attached) a. Chapter 1 - Scope b. Chapter 3 -Definitions c. Chapters Future meetings. 6. Adjournment. AGENDA PAGE 1

2 NFPA 277 Task Group Meeting 5/20/2015 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Call to Order The teleconference meeting was called to order by Chair, Gordon Damant at 2:01 PM. Roll Call The task group members who participated in the conference call identified themselves: Robert Backstrom UL Gordon Damant - Self Dick Gann - Self Rohit Khanna CPSC William Pitts NIST Robert Solomon NFPA Staff Guests/Introductions Rick Davis NIST Avery Lindeman Green Science Policy Institute John Martell IAFF Malin Nasman IKEA Dave Panning BIFMA Matt Vinci IAFF Kay Wright PFA Rep. The task group reviewed the compiled responses to the 4 questions. The responses were included in the agenda. Ensuing discussion on each question is as follows: Question 1 -Go to larger ignition source seems to be direction. -Large enough to FORCE an ignition. -What about the area covered by ignition source and direction that source is applied. Not specific. -Non-ignition of the test sample is potentially a good thing. -Trying to address secondary ignition (second item ignited). AGENDA PAGE 2

3 -Depends on what is being tested mock-up, chair composite and where the ignition source is being applied. -Might have to determine critical factors (Question 2) first and then figure out ignition source. -Is goal to permit ignition? Prevent flashover? Increase egress time? Then determining the performance might be easier. -Previously, ignition resistance test was determined not to be the goal. -BS 5852 uses a wood crib. Concerns are that this configuration is not reproducible. Consider modeling the wood crib with a gas burner. That is readily reproducible. Question 2 -Generally, ignitability was not the way go. Fire growth and flame spread were more critical. -Heat release rate is more relevant. Allow the hazard to be scaled. This allows discrete value points to be readily measured. -What should be measured? HRR YES; Ignitability NO. If you look at the major components in the furniture, should you measure different things? Cover fabric; fill materials, batting materials; foam. -Fire growth rate & evaluation of finished product is important. Can you correlate tests/evaluation of composite and scale up to the finished product? Might have too many combinations to make that work. How do you narrow the field? -Can you look at a mass loss measurement? This requires more analysis-what part of the finished product is being consumed? Question 3 -Mass loss doesn t tell the whole story. Part of the mass loss can include moisture content loss-that doesn t tell much about the behavior. -Different regulators (AHJ s) need to pick the performance criteria-this will vary depending on the application. Make sure the performance is within the range of identified hazards (put in an open field versus install in a nursing home). -The hazard exists with the environment in which the furniture is used. However, the test protocol could have a bracket or limit and range. -Leave it up to the AHJ; or have the test protocol determine what is acceptable performance. -Should task group describe what is acceptable? What size fire is okay? What range of performance is okay? -Look at mattress example? Work backwards flashover in bedroom what items/combustible contents (mattress) contribute to get to flashover? -How many soft furnishings (mattress only-usually) and how close are they? This approach works well in a bedroom-but not so much in the living room scenario. AGENDA PAGE 3

4 -Compare/contrast previous scientific work for similar projects-like the mattress standard. It is a different challenge/approach, but you could replicate the idea with a chair(s). Question 4 -What do you want to test? -Mattress example? Some of the highly combustible components in a mattress may have unfavorable characteristics individually, but since they are protected, these components may not have a real impact. -Consumers, firefighters, etc. are impacted by the element as it is deployed-the finished product. -Prototype and production testing. This is easier in some cases than others. Furniture has many design variables - size, thickness, fabric, cover, geometry, color. Is there a systematic way to narrow the combinations? One test of the finished product may have utility to govern 50 other combinations. -The test protocol should say Here is the test. Manufacturer can make their product anyway they want-as long as it passes the test. -Mattress model hard to apply to the furniture scenario. -Prototyping model might work - but it will not be easy. -Mattress model was very much centered on the barrier system used in the design in order to get a 30- minute rating. If NFPA 277 mandates a fire barrier layer across the board, then the mattress concept might work. -Don t know how you can realistically test every combination. It is a big challenge no obvious way to fix this. -Literature doesn t show any obvious, easy way to do this. Straight back chair versus angle back chair how different will the performance be? -Can you find the worse-case scenarios for similar designs and get those under a grouping? -This is where the classification scheme/performance range in Question 3 might have application. -If TG needs help in a given area, the Fire Protection Research Foundation can help there. OTHER -Questions: Is there a way to stay under a 200 kw fire without using a fire barrier system/shield? -What do we know? If yes to above, what (if any fabric) would still exceed the 200 kw limit? Maybe those materials couldn t be used anymore. Fire blocking materials work on mattresses. Don t know if they work on furniture. They work on CAL TB 133 (contract furniture) types of furniture. Some upholstered furniture fabric will likely never pass the test (certain polypropylene materials). AGENDA PAGE 4

5 -What is classification of materials, fabric materials, designs etc. that might help with this? -The TG agreed that the four questions were helpful. Helps to narrow things down. A suggestion was made to look at another set of questions to further refine. -TG members will consider 3 or 4 new questions each and send to Gordon by June 16, Next Meeting. Do another round of questions via conference call; then consider a face-to-face meeting. Have questions to Gordon by June 16 th. NFPA will send out a Doodle Poll to look at a two hour conference call for July 20, 21, 22 or 23. Will likely schedule an all-day meeting of the task group in September of this year. Minutes. The minutes of the January 26, 2015 TG meeting were approved as submitted. Adjournment. The conference call was completed and ended at 3:57 PM. AGENDA PAGE 5

6 NFPA 277 Title Page Opening Boilerplate (issuance) Origin and Development Committee Lists Technical Committee list Table of Contents Opening Page Boilerplates Chapter 1 Administration 1.1 Scope This test shall apply to upholstered furniture Purpose This test method is designed to evaluate the fire/ignition resistance of upholstered furniture subject to a flaming ignition source It is the intent of this standard to provide test(s) to determine whether upholstered furniture (materials?) are relatively resistance to open flame ignition. 1.3 Application (optional section) 1.6 Units and Formulas (optional section) Chapter 2 Referenced Publications. 2.1 General. 2.2 NFPA Publications. National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA NFPA 260, Standard Methods of Tests and Classification System for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of Components of Upholstered Furniture NFPA 261, Standard Method of Test for Determining Resistance of Mock-Up Upholstered Furniture Material Assemblies to Ignition by Smoldering Cigarettes 2.3 Other Publications. Merriam-Webster s Collegiate Dictionary, 11 th Edition, Merriam Webster, Inc., Springfield, MA, ASTM Publications International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standards Federal Standards British Standards. 2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections DRAFT Chapter 3 Definitions 3.1 Definitions. 3.2 NFPA Official Definitions Shall Should Standard. 3.3 General Definitions Barrier/Barrier Fabric. The fabric or other material placed directly under the cover fabric when Class II cover fabric is used Char. Carbonaceous material formed by pyrolysis or incomplete combustion Deck. The upholstered support under the seat cushion in a loose seat construction. AGENDA PAGE 6

7 3.3.4 Furniture Mock-Up. A representation of production furniture that uses the same upholstery cover material and upholstery material, assembled in the same manner as in production furniture but with straight, vertical sides Ignition. Continuous, self-sustaining, smoldering combustion of upholstered furniture substrates after exposure to burning cigarettes Sample. Material being tested Specimen. Individual pieces of a sample used in a single test assembly Upholstered Furniture. For the purpose of this test method, a unit of interior furnishing that has any surface covered, in whole or in part, with a fabric or related upholstery cover material, contains upholstery material, and is intended or promoted for sitting or reclining Upholstery Cover Material. The outermost layer of fabric or related material used to enclose the main support system, upholstery materials, or both, used in a furniture item Upholstery Material. The padding, stuffing, or filling material used in a furniture item, which can be either loose or attached, enclosed by an upholstery cover material, or located between the upholstery cover material and support system, if present. Chapter 4 Test Apparatus. 4.1 Mock-Ups. 4.2 Ignition Source The ignition source shall be (insert specifics on ignition source) The (fuel) used shall be (specifics on flow rate if gas) 4.3 Burner/Ignition Locations. 4.4 Testing Environment The test shall be carried out in a draft-protected area The airflow across the sample face shall be The airflow rates described in section shall not be exceeded due to venting in accordance with section Chapter 5 Test Specimen. 5.1 General. 5.2 Fabric. DRAFT Chapter 6 Conditioning. 6.1 Test samples shall be conditioned at a temperature of 23 ± 5 C (73 ± 9 F) and 50 ± 10% relative humidity for at least 24 hours immediately prior to testing. 6.2 If the test room conditions do not meet the specifications stated in Section 5.1, then testing shall be initiated within 10 minutes after the materials are removed from the conditioned room. Chapter 7 Test Procedures 7.1 Timing. 7.2 Pretest Test Method Ignitions Test Acceptance Test Completion Measurements. AGENDA PAGE 7

8 Chapter 8 Test Reporting and Results 8.1 Reporting Calculations 8.3 Results (pass/fail?) Chapter 9 Safety Precautions 9.1 Test Termination A test shall be discontinued as soon as continuing combustion occurs The exposed area shall be immediately wetted with a water spray from the water bottle, the charred or burned material shall be removed and immersed in a bucket of water The test area shall then be vented. 9.2 Exposure Test personnel shall avoid exposure to smoke and gases produced during testing as much as possible A large hood with low air velocity shall be permitted to be in operation during testing to remove products of combustion. Annex A Explanatory Material Boilerplate Annex B + (as necessary) Boilerplate Annex X Informational References X.1 Referenced Publications X.1.1 NFPA Publications X.1.2 Other Publications X.2 Informational References X.3 References for Extracts in Informational Sections Index DRAFT AGENDA PAGE 8

Schedule of Accreditation issued by United Kingdom Accreditation Service 2 Pine Trees, Chertsey Lane, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 3HR, UK

Schedule of Accreditation issued by United Kingdom Accreditation Service 2 Pine Trees, Chertsey Lane, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 3HR, UK 2 Pine Trees, Chertsey Lane, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 3HR, UK Textile Innovation House Contact: Mark Jones 1 Lyons Road Tel: +44 (0) 161 50 50 650 Trafford Park E-Mail: mark.jones@ifs-labs.com M17 1RN