Make Life Safer Plus Fabric Testing Program Update

UFAC’s Beta test program for the detection of flame retardant (FR) chemicals in upholstery fabric continues to make progress, despite some of the challenges presented by coronavirus this spring and summer. Upholstery fabrics, targeted as the second furniture component to be tested for FRs in UFAC’s Make Life Safer Plus verification program, will eventually join foam as a key constituent of the flame retardant chemical verification program.

The list of foam FRs differs significantly from those used with fabrics. Knowledgeable members of UFAC’s Technical Advisory Committee, which includes chemist Dr. Heather Stapleton, compiled a list of known fabric FRs and several others recently detected by Stapleton’s Duke University laboratory. The current FR target list includes DecaBDE, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), 1,2 bis(pentabromophenyl) ethylene (DODPE), TCPP, TDCPP and others. The targeted list is subject to change and possible addition, as UFAC keeps a close watch on new and emerging flame retardant chemistries and trends.

Results from the completed Beta test will be used to qualify independent labs, cross-compare testing accuracy and validate each FR’s validity as a fabric chemical of concern. Findings from the initial round of fabric testing detected FRs at levels significantly below the 1000 parts per million maximum established by many states’ FR legislations.