Office Chair Fire Protection Standard
The fire protection standards for office chairs mainly cover national standards, fire rating classifications, and other market standards, as detailed below:
National Standards: The GB8624-2023 'Classification of Burning Behavior of Building Materials and Products', implemented in 2024, sets clear requirements for the filler material in office chairs, mandating that it must meet the B1 flame-retardant standard. This means that when the chair comes into contact with an open flame, it must extinguish automatically within 30 seconds, and the length of burning must not exceed 20 centimeters. Additionally, the flame retardancy of domestic office chairs also refers to the two soft furniture flame-retardant standards, GB 17927.1-2011 and GB 17927.2-2011. GB 17927.1-2011 primarily tests for ignition by smoldering cigarettes, simulating scenarios of cigarette smoldering that may occur during daily use, and assessing the fire protection performance of office chairs under such conditions. GB 17927.2-2011, on the other hand, tests for ignition by simulated match flames, examining the fire protection performance of office chairs under the influence of smaller ignition sources similar to match flames. Furthermore, relevant standards are implemented in accordance with the requirements of QB/T 2280-2016 'Office Furniture - Office Chairs' to ensure that office chairs comply with fire protection regulations in terms of overall design and use.
Fire Rating Classifications: National standards classify office desks and chairs into non-flame-retardant, B1 fire-rated, and B0 fire-rated categories. Non-flame-retardant products are not flame-retardant and are flammable, such as plastics, cotton, and linen fabrics. These products do not meet fire rating standards and pose significant fire hazards. B1 fire-rated materials fall under the B-level fire protection standard, exhibiting relatively good burning performance but with a relatively fast burning speed, making them flammable materials. However, they offer some improvement in fire protection compared to non-flame-retardant products. B0 fire-rated materials fall under the A-level fire protection standard, demonstrating excellent burning performance with a slow burning speed, making them difficult-to-burn materials with high fire safety.
Other Market Standards: For office chairs exported overseas, they must also comply with local standards in the target market. For example, the UK's BS 5852 standard uses six different ignition sources for testing, with specific requirements for smoldering time and flame removal duration, comprehensively assessing the fire protection performance of office chairs under different ignition sources. In the United States, the NFPA 260 standard is commonly used to evaluate flame resistance, with a Class I pass criterion stating that the maximum char length of the fabric covering the chair back must not exceed 38 millimeters, the barrier material must not exceed 51 millimeters, and it must not continue to ignite, ensuring the fire safety of office chairs in the US market.
