Following the success of the last FIRA Flammability Course in May, another date has been set for Thursday 20th June. The course is aimed at furniture suppliers, manufacturers, importers, retail buyers and technologists.

It is designed to help members of the industry understand the UK flammability regulations for upholstered furniture and how they relate to products. Without asking a supplier the right questions, a buyer could end up with a non-compliant product, which could result in product recall and even prosecution.

The course provides an overview of the UK Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations (as amended) and aims to provide an understanding of how to interpret the Regulations for a specific business or product.

The Regulations cover a variety of furniture products, including sofas, chairs, beds, headboards, bean bags and casual seating.

Tristine Hargreaves, FIRA’s standards and regulatory manager, says: “The UK flammability regulations are made up of several schedules which cover the different parts of a product. Everyone has the responsibility of ‘due diligence’ and you could be asked to demonstrate that a product is compliant. If a product is deemed to be non-compliant, this is illegal and could result in product withdrawal from sale, product recall or prosecution.

“The UK flammability regulations are extremely complex and I would urge anyone who is new to the subject, deals with product acquisition as part of their role or is overseeing the process, to attend the course. We provide a breakdown of the Regulations and give an understanding of how they relate to your products. By the end of the day you should be able to assess your products to see whether they are fully compliant with the Regulations and avoid unnecessary recall costs or fines.”

The Flammability Course looks at why the Regulations were introduced, the different schedules, labelling, test reports, product assessments and traceability of materials. A training certificate will be issued upon completion of the course and training notes provided to assist with future product assessments. The course also includes a tour of the FIRA Flammability Test Laboratory.

Prices for the course are ￡250 +VAT for FIRA members and ￡400 +VAT for non-members. FIRA also offers bespoke training sessions which can be held at a company's premises. For further information contact Tristine Hargreaves on +44 (0)1438 777 606 or email info@fira.co.uk. Alternatively, book online here.