California flame retardant ban about to go into effect
California will ban the sale of various products containing flame retardants. Starting in January 2020, it will be illegal to sell new mattresses, upholstered furniture and children's products that contain more than 0.1 percent flame retardants.
The list of FR(flame retardant) chemicals covered by the ban includes halides, organophosphorus, organic nitrogen and nanoscale products, as well as the Washington State list of chemicals associated with children. Also included is the list of designated chemicals under the state's biomonitoring program.
For mattresses, the ban restrictions apply only to foam components and other components are exempt from the restrictions. Mattresses must meet federally mandated standards for flammability performance, including passing an open flame test, which is difficult to achieve without flame retardants.
The state has been trying to remove open flame testing from the requirements for upholstered products because it encourages greater use of flame retardants to get products to pass the test.
The International Sleep Products Association must survey mattress manufacturers by the end of January 2020 and every three years after that. This will collect data on materials used by mattress manufacturers to meet flammability standards, as well as data on flame retardants used at least 0.1 percent.
The bill states that products also largely meet the requirements of its latest flammability standard, TB 117-2013, without the use of flame retardants. However, despite the fact that these chemicals are not necessary for fire safety or TB 117-2013 standards, some product manufacturers still use flame retardant chemicals in upholstered furniture and teen products.