The UK is still using extremely outdated furniture fire safety rules, putting people at risk from toxic materials, an MP has warned.
Bob Blackman, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on fire safety, said the government has failed to update rules that date back to 1988, leaving millions of households exposed to materials that exacerbate the release of dangerous fumes when they burn.
“We have been lobbying ministers for years, yet there is still no clear plan to modernise these standards,” Blackman said.
A number of chemical groups are used in upholstered furniture – mostly as flame retardants applied to foams, fabrics and backing materials to help furniture meet the UK’s stringent ignition tests. Many of these substances have been linked to toxicity, persistence in the environment and health concerns, with the use of several restricted over time.
Europe has undergone major reforms over the past 20 to 25 years that have significantly reduced the use of toxic flame-retardant chemicals in sofas, mattresses and upholstered furniture. These changes were driven by health concerns, environmental evidence and new understanding of how furniture actually behaves in real fires.
While landlords are already required to ensure furnished rental properties meet basic fire safety rules, consumers can still purchase secondhand sofas, armchairs and mattresses without any information about what chemicals they contain. The MP warned these everyday household items are kept for decades, and can present fire and toxicity risks long after they are manufactured.
Bob Blackman says secondhand furniture is of particular concern. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images
“You can walk into a secondhand shop today and buy furniture without knowing the dangers associated with it,” Blackman said. “The cushioning materials used in domestic furniture are often the centre of fire risk, and when they burn, the fumes can be toxic or even lethal.”
Most domestic fires begin in living rooms, often triggered by heaters, candles or smoking. The APPG argues that current rules fail to reflect the behaviour of modern foams and fire-retardant chemicals, with experts long warning that many of them can be harmful.
“Of course we want fire-retardant furniture,” the MP said. “But we also need to know what chemicals are being released when these materials do burn, and what harm those fumes cause to people, especially children, whose lungs are particularly vulnerable.”
The Grenfell Tower fire intensified concern over the integrity of fire safety checks. Blackman said: “Grenfell exposed deep flaws in how fire-retardant materials are tested. Some suppliers attempted to secure higher ratings than their products deserved. Testing is absolutely critical and at present it is not fit for purpose.”
Despite repeated meetings with ministers, the APPG says there has been “no meaningful progress” from the government. The MP noted that the responsible minister “left with a clear understanding that this issue urgently needs attention”, but no updated regulations have been published.
The Building Safety Act does give ministers the ability to introduce new rules without requiring primary legislation, but industry pressure remains a hurdle. “Furniture suppliers argue that tightening standards will increase costs,” the MP said. “There is always a tradeoff: if we reduce certain chemicals, does the fire risk increase? That balance must be informed by evidence.”
Another concern is environmental disposal. Many sofas and mattresses are incinerated or recycled, yet the fate of toxic gases released during burning remains unclear. “If we incinerate these materials, what happens to the toxins? If we landfill them, what are the risks?” the MP asked. “Consumers buying secondhand items have no idea what chemicals they are bringing into their homes.”
While the overall number of domestic fires has fallen in recent years, the MP warned that this should not breed complacency. “We have allowed this issue to drift,” he said. “The dangers are well known, the evidence is clear and the government must act.”
Joanna Cloy, from the environmental charity Fidra, said: “As well as increased smoke toxicity when flame retardant materials burn, there is the other pressing issue of exposure to toxic chemical flame retardants in our homes as they migrate out of our furniture over time. People are exposed to legacy chemicals that are now banned as well as their replacements that have been restricted or are being considered for restriction in the EU.
“The UK’s chemical restrictions are lagging behind the EU’s chemical restrictions. They must keep pace to address the ongoing failure to protect UK consumers from exposure to toxic chemical flame retardants used in furniture products.”
