FIRE SAFETY LEVEL OF INTERIOR TEXTILES AND UPHOLSTERED FURNISHING IN NORWAY – CONSIDERING HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FROM CHANGES IN PRODUCT SAFETY REGULATIONS

摘要

In a project commissioned by the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning in Norway, SINTEF NBL has examined whether stricter fire safety regulations on upholstered furniture, mattresses and interior textiles on the Norwegian market would result in unacceptable negative health and environmental effects. We have concluded that with the information that has been available to us, it is not possible to evaluate what effects different levels of fire safety may have on health and environment in Norway, and it is probably not possible to establish such a relation today. However, we have also concluded that stricter regulations could be possible without adverse effects, if the regulations are composed in such a way as to not force excess use of flame retardants. The regulation should rather be flexible and encourage the use of alternative solutions instead of solely relying on chemical flame retardants.