HIGH POINT – The Upholstered Furniture Action Council will launch “Make Life Safer,” an upgraded testing and consumer outreach program to certify upholstered furniture products as being free of the most widely used flame-retardant chemicals.
UFAC, an independent not-for-profit organization that since 1978 has worked to reduce smoldering fires in upholstered furniture, will administer the Make Life Safer program using independent accredited test laboratories for certification.
The voluntary program will encourage upholstered furniture manufacturers and importers to verify that their products are made without the most widely used FR chemicals, which already have been banned by about a dozen states and have raised health concerns among consumers. According to UFAC, the verification program serves as the only voluntary testing program of its kind for manufacturers to demonstrate their commitment to removing these commonly used FR chemicals.
“This new testing program goes beyond what is now required by states that already have banned FR chemicals,” said Don Coleman, president of UFAC. “The UFAC Make Life Safer program actually tests furniture components. The states do not require testing.
“The Make Life Safer programs will give consumers peace of mind knowing their furniture is free of the most common FR chemicals, while providing manufacturers with access to an internationally recognized testing program developed by independent experts in the field of FR use and testing.”
The testing protocol, developed by Duke University researcher Dr. Heather Stapleton and other chemical and materials experts, initially will test foam but will be expanded soon to include upholstery fabric as well, Coleman said. Tests will be administered by independent and accredited third-party laboratories that have been approved by UFAC for the program.
“By proactively addressing consumer concerns about both furniture flammability safety and the safety of chemicals of concern, our Make Life Safer program allows manufacturers and retail sales associates to speak confidently about the company’s efforts to produce safer furniture for the home,” said Coleman. “No other organization besides UFAC has the infrastructure and relationships to bring together these various stakeholders to formulate such a meaningful testing program.”
Make Life Safer is the first major expansion of UFAC’s safety program since the initial flammability testing for smoldering cigarettes was unveiled in 1978. The testing protocol has been revised several times since then and has remained the cornerstone of UFAC’s safety efforts.
Participants in the new FR testing program will be allowed to purchase green Make Life Safer hangtags explaining the product doesn’t contain common FR chemicals above a de minimis level. They also can be included on a consumer-focused website, MakeLifeSafer.org, which will include detailed information about the Make Life Safer program as well as fire safety tips for furniture and a variety of other common household products.
In addition to the new website, UFAC is raising the profile of the program on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Manufacturers and importers who chose to remain in the long-running smolder testing program will continue to purchase blue tags signifying their participation. Details about that program are available at ufac.org.
