Is Our Furniture Still Safe?
The Hidden Truth About Flame Retardants, Upholstery & The Future of UK Fire Safety Regulations
For decades, the UK has had some of the strictest furniture fire safety regulations in the world. Introduced in 1988, the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations were designed to reduce house fires and save lives.
And they did.
But nearly 40 years later, a growing number of upholsterers, scientists, and campaigners are asking a difficult question:
Have we solved one problem by creating another?
The Chemical Legacy of Fire Safety
To meet the UK’s stringent fire testing requirements, particularly the open flame (match) test, manufacturers have historically relied heavily on chemical flame retardants.
These chemicals are often added to:
Foam fillings
Fabric backings
Adhesives and finishes
In fact, they can make up 10–20% of a sofa’s composition.
However, these chemicals don’t stay inside your furniture. They:
Migrate into indoor air
Settle in household dust
Are absorbed through skin
Accumulate in the body over time
There is now a substantial amount of research linking certain flame retardants to:
Hormone disruption
Neurotoxicity
Developmental issues in children
Cancer risks
Children are particularly vulnerable due to their proximity to floors and hand-to-mouth behaviour.
The Upholsterer Who Spoke Up
One of the most prominent voices in this space is Delyth Fetherston-Dilke, an upholsterer who has become a leading advocate for reform.
After developing serious health issues linked to long-term exposure to upholstery materials, she began investigating the industry more deeply.
What she found was alarming:
Widespread reliance on chemical flame retardants
Limited transparency about what’s actually inside furniture
Regulations that force chemical use, rather than encourage safer design
Since then, she has worked with:
Scientists
Policymakers
Industry groups
pushing for safer, more sustainable fire safety standards.
Her message is simple:
We should be designing fire-safe furniture, not chemically forcing it.
The Problem With the Current Regulations
The 1988 regulations were built around specific ignition tests, including:
Cigarette resistance
Open flame (match) testing
While effective at reducing fire risk, these tests have had unintended consequences, because to pass them, materials often need chemical treatment
This has led to:
Heavy reliance on flame retardants
Barriers to innovation (e.g. natural materials, wool, tighter weaves)
Environmental challenges when disposing of furniture
In fact, UK furniture is estimated to account for a significant proportion of global flame retardant use, with serious implications for waste and pollution.
A System Out of Step With the World
The UK is now an outlier. Other regions, including parts of Europe and The United State have shifted away from open flame testing toward smoulder-based testing.
This approach focuses on the most common real-world ignition source, cigarettes. And crucially uses far fewer chemical flame retardants and relies more on material design and construction.
Evidence suggests that countries using smoulder tests have not seen increases in fire deaths linked to furniture.
The Turning Point: Government Consultation & Reform
After years of pressure, research, and campaigning, the UK Government began reviewing the regulations. A major step came with the “Smarter Regulation” consultation, led by the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
This followed a policy paper published in January 2025, outlining proposed reforms. Key proposals include moving away from prescriptive testing
Instead of rigid test methods, the new approach focuses on essential safety requirements and an outcomes-based framework which allows for innovation while maintaining safety.
Ending Mandatory Open Flame Testing
One of the most significant proposed changes is removing the requirement for open flame (match) testing. This could dramatically reduce reliance on chemical flame retardants and open the door to safer material choices.
Introducing smoulder-testing reflects how fires actually start in homes, improving clarity & responsibility. The consultation also highlighted confusion around responsibilities in the supply chain.
We need for clearer rules for:
Upholsterers
Re-upholsterers
Component suppliers
Over 500 responses were submitted, including strong engagement from small businesses and upholsterers.
Why This Matters for Upholsterers
For upholsterers, this isn’t just policy, it’s day-to-day practice. At the moment, upholsterers are balancing:
Legal compliance
Client expectations
Material safety
Ethical considerations
Working with materials you didn’t design or manufacture
The consultation made it clear that many upholsterers feel burdened by vague responsibilities. There is a strong need for better guidance and transparency.
A Shift Towards “Safer by Design”
The future of fire safety in furniture could look very different. Instead of adding chemicals to make materials pass tests, we move towards designing materials that are inherently safer. This includes:
Tighter woven fabrics
Naturally fire-resistant fibres (like wool)
Barrier materials (interliners)
Reduced chemical reliance
The Bigger Picture: Health, Environment & Circular Economy
This issue goes far beyond upholstery. Flame retardants are now linked to:
Indoor air pollution
Environmental contamination
Waste management challenges
Furniture containing these chemicals often:
Cannot be safely recycled
Must be incinerated
Contributes to toxic emissions
This directly conflicts with the UK’s circular economy goals and sustainability targets.
What Happens Next?
The Government is expected to continue refining proposals following consultation feedback, with further updates anticipated. There is growing pressure for:
Stronger chemical restrictions
Clearer labelling and transparency
Faster implementation of reform
Campaigners, including upholsterers like Delyth, are continuing to push for meaningful change.
Fire safety matters. Lives depend on it. The real challenge now isn’t choosing between safety and health. It’s designing a system that delivers both.
The government is looking for views on the comprehensive reform of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. You can add your response here.
