Important milestones in mattress fire safety

• Early 1970s: Mattress industry collaborates with federal regulators to address cigarette-ignition hazard, resulting in Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
• 1980 to 1998: Bedroom-related fires drop 68 percent and their related deaths fell 52 percent.
• 1986: Mattress industry forms the Sleep Products Safety Council (SPSC) to provide consumer safety information, support scientific research and promote other activities to reduce safety hazards associated with sleep products.
• Early 1990s: Fire statistics continued to show a reduction in overall bedroom-related fires and deaths. Nevertheless, they also showed that the number of cigarette-caused bedding fires had fallen below those caused by open-flame ignition, prompting increased attention on open-flame ignited fires.
• 1996: The SPSC (working with the National Association of State Fire Marshals) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) each conduct studies to better understand dynamics of open-flame bed ignitions. Both studies concluded that bedclothes are usually the first item ignited in open-flame mattress fires; and that approximately two-thirds of small open-flame ignitions are started by children under age 15, while one-fifth are started by children under age 5.
• 1998: The SPSC initiates formal discussions with the CPSC to explore alternatives for reducing open-flame ignited mattress fires.
• 1998 to 2003: The SPSC launchs a multi-phase scientific study conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and supported by the CPSC and other groups. This research was concluded in 2003.
• 2001: The CPSC issus an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to begin the process of developing a national open-flame mattress standard. This process remains ongoing.
• 2001: California enacts Assembly Bill 603, which requires the California Bureau of Home Furnishings to establish open-flame fire standards for the mattress and foundation, as well as for bedclothes (that is, pillows, comforters, mattress pads, etc.) if the CBHF finds that bedclothes contribute to mattress fires.
• 2003: The CBHF issues a proposed standard for mattresses called Technical Bulletin 603 (TB603). CBHF revises TB603 in light of comments from ISPA.
• 2004: The CBHF formally adopts TB603 and sets effective date of January 1, 2005 for all mattresses and foundations made on or after that date for sale in California.
• 2004: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues staff options package recommending that CPSC propose federal open-flame standard for mattresses that incorporates TB603 peak heat release rate of 200 kW and test duration of 30 minutes, but sets a total energy release limit for first 10 minutes of test at 15 Mj.  Formal CPSC action on staff recommendations expected in late 2004 or early 2005.
• 2005: TB603 will become effective for all mattresses and foundations made on or after January 1, 2005 for sale in California.