Flameproofing – What you need to know
First of all – the good news. If you are restoring or re-trimming a car, or any other vehicle for private use, all of our automotive leathers will be suitable for your project. You do not need to have any additional flameproofing or treatment.
Likewise, if you are handling a domestic upholstery project, all of our upholstery leathers can be used without further intervention.
However, once you move beyond those environments, you will need to consider additional flameproofing to comply with British, European or International standards before you can begin your project.
Below we are focused on the standards required within the United Kingdom. If you are operating outside of the UK, please ensure you check the requirements for the country within which you are working.
BS5852 – CRIB 5
This is the British Standard which all leather must adhere to, for use in any commercial upholstery environment. This applies to venues such as hotels, restaurants, conference and exhibition centres, theatres, leisure facilities and so on.
All furniture and fixtures that are fabric covered must have CRIB 5 certification. The test is completed using simulated smouldering cigarettes and lit matches, to ensure it can withstand a certain level of exposure without bursting into flames.
Our leather range Basis Tec comes pre-treated to CRIB 5 standards. However, all of our leather can be treated to meet the CRIB 5 standards, which we offer as an additional service.
IMO RES A652 (16)
IMO stands for International Maritime Organisation, and they are the global authority for the safety of international shipping. The IMO RES A652 (16) standard is the flammability test set by the IMO for upholstery in marine environments. This does not apply to furniture on private yachts, but does apply in all other environments.
Our Buckingham range has already been certified to this standard, so you can choose anything from this range with confidence. A number of our other upholstery ranges can be additionally treated to comply, so please contact us for details.
FAR 25
FAR stands for the Federal Aviation Regulations, the requirements laid down by the Federal Aviation Administration and adopted as a global standard. FAR 25 actually covers a number of factors within an aircraft, including the minimum flammability tests for fabrics.
Our Basis Tec range has already achieved this standard, so any colour within this range can be used for aviation projects. Some of our other upholstery ranges can be treated to this standard, so please contact us if you would like to find out more.
You can download details of the upholstery standard for all of our ranges here: UK Hide Upholstery Standards.
Important to Note:
The above information relates to our leather ranges only. You will need to ensure any foam or stuffing for projects meets the required standards for the environment in which you are operating. Additionally, we are not fire safety experts so please check the standards needed for your project. We are happy for you to check with us if any range meets those standards, before placing an order.
All of our flameproofing is handled by a carefully chosen partner. We are therefore unable to offer a next day delivery on this. Please ensure you check carriage charges and timescales when ordering, to avoid disappointment.
Please contact us on 01932 353 338 if you would like to order samples or obtain pricing.
