Fire Codes

Upholstery Journal | August 2010

The California Technical Bulletin 133 (CAL TB 133) is an open flame test that is mandatory for furniture used in public buildings in the state of California. However, since several other states have adopted the CAL TB 133, being familiar with the test protocols can be beneficial.

This test is the most severe fire test for upholstery furniture and is designed specifically for upholstered furniture used in public occupancies. For the full scale burn test, a full scale piece of furniture or a mock-up is placed in a specially designed room. The item is then exposed to an approximate 16-kW open flame for 80 seconds while the temperature, furniture mass, smoke opacity and carbon monoxide concentration in the test room are continually monitored. In order to pass, the item must meet certain performance criteria outlined in the bulletin.

To make sure your pieces will be up to code, check with the appropriate city fire department before starting any projects for public buildings and consider sending an item to a testing facility for a burn test.

Mara Whitten

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