- Author
- Babrauskas, V.
- Title
- Laboratory Flammability Test for Institutional Mattresses.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Journal
- Fire Journal, Vol. 75, No. 6, 35-40,93, November 1981
- Keywords
- mattresses | institutions | flammability tests | large scale fire tests
- Identifiers
- bench scale tests
- Abstract
- Concern over mattress fires among the general public led the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to develop a cigarette ignition resistance test (FF 4-72) in the early 1970s. This test became a mandatory federal minimum standard that is currently enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. A mattress that meets no other requirements beyond conforming to FF 4-72 may still be readily ignitable by an open flaming source and can then build up to a very severe fire in only a few minutes.