Do I need fire retardant curtains?
This is a question that comes up a lot.
Well, if you are looking for curtains or blinds for a non-domestic space, yes, you do need to choose a fire retardant product.
A ‘non-domestic’ space includes:
- care homes
- residential homes
- hotels
- airbnbs
- healthcare establishments
- student accommodation
- schools
- leisure facilities
- office buildings
- businesses
- any other type of public building
So, if you are responsible for the site in any of these settings, you need to look for a product that is specifically sold as being fire retardant. It’s worth being aware that most retail curtains are not fire retardant.
This blog explains some of the detail around BS 5867 – the UK legislation for curtains and blinds when it comes to fire retardancy.
Why is there particular legislation for curtains and drapery?
Vertical hanging fabrics are a particular risk for fire safety
Curtains and blinds are particularly risky from a fire ignition perspective, as they hang vertically. And because they are often used in bedrooms and other places people sleep, slowing the speed of ignition and stopping the spread of fire is critical.
What is BS 5867?
BS 5867 is the British standard for fire retardancy for drapes, curtains and blinds. It specifies the flammability performance that materials must meet to achieve the required fire safety levels in different public buildings.
There are three baseline standards to BS 5867 – A, B and C. Type A is the minimum standard of fire retardancy – all fabrics must pass this. Whether type B or type C is required depends on where the curtains will be installed, and it’s all about the level of risk in each setting.
Low risk settings include schools, colleges, museums. Medium risk includes hospitals, hotel rooms, public buildings, restaurants and pubs.
High and very high risk settings are those such as areas where people sleep in certain hospital wards, healthcare and residential care settings, particularly for secure facilities, and prison cells.
In low and medium risk settings, type B is generally sufficient, but for high and very high risk settings, fabric should be tested to type C.
In high risk settings, such as secure healthcare facilities, should use curtain fabric tested to BS 5867 type C
What is the difference between BS 5867 type B and C?
The difference between BS 5867 type B and type C is down to the fabric testing.
To test for type B, a fabric is held over a small flame and observed. To pass for type B, the flame should not spread to any edges of the fabric, and no burning debris should fall. The fabric for a type B test will have been washed for 12 wash cycles.
Type C is a more stringent test: the fabric has been washed for 50 wash cycles and in addition to the ease of ignition and spread, the after-flame and afterglow time is measured – i.e. how long the fabric continues to burn or glow after the flame is removed. The after-flame and afterglow should not exceed 2.5 seconds.
The point of the testing is to ensure that the fabric used won’t catch fire easily or spread to other items in the room. If there were an ignition point, a fire retardant fabric will burn slowly and ideally self-extinguish.
How are curtains made fire retardant?
Curtains, blinds and soft furnishings can be made fire retardant in two ways:
- Using fabrics that have been treated with a fire retardant coating
- Using inherently fire retardant fabrics
Inherently fire retardant curtains can be washed many times without losing fire retardancy
The issue with fabrics that have been treated with a fire retardant coating is that the coating’s effectiveness reduces over time and through washing. An inherently fire retardant fabric however remains fire retardant for the curtain or blind’s lifecycle, no matter how much they are washed, thanks to the chemical structure of the polyester fibre.
How do I know if my curtains are fire retardant?
Look on the curtains for a label. Fire retardant curtains, whether they are inherently fire retardant, or have been treated with a fire retardant substance, will be labelled accordingly. If you don’t see a label, and you’re in charge of a non-domestic or public building, it’s worth getting in touch with a specialist supplier of fire retardant curtains. Virtually all off-the-shelf retail curtains are not fire retardant. Therefore, if you have a commercial residence, you need a commercial curtain expert.
At Bridge Contract Interiors, all curtains are made using fire retardant fabric
At Bridge, we’re experts in fire retardant contract curtains, blinds and soft furnishings. If you have any questions about whether your site needs to comply with BS 5867 regulations, or need to source new curtains for your site, get in touch with our friendly, knowledgeable team for advice and guidance.
