US State of Maine to Regulate Flame Retardants in Residential Upholstered Furniture
The US state of Maine’s new measures to regulate flame retardants in residential upholstered furniture will come into effect on January 1, 2019.
- (1888PressRelease) August 19, 2017 - The Legislature of the US state of Maine has overridden the Governor’s veto on ‘LD 182 (HP138)’, a law to restrict the use of flame retardants in residential upholstered furniture. The Legislature made its decision on August 2, 2017, and the new restrictions will come into effect on January 1, 2019.
The new measure defines flame retardant chemicals as including, but not limited to, halogenated, phosphorus-containing, nitrogen-based and nanoscale flame retardants and any chemical or chemical compound where ‘flame retardant’ appears on the substance safety data sheet (SDS) under 29 CFR, Section 1910.1200(g) (2015).
The restrictions allow for a limit of no more than 0.1% of any flame retardant chemical or mixture that includes flame retardant chemicals, in new residential upholstered furniture containing fabrics, other coverings or cushioning materials.
The new law, entitled “An Act to Protect Firefighters by Establishing a Prohibition on the Sale and Distribution of New Upholstered Furniture Containing Certain Flame-retardant Chemicals”, requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt rules to implement the Act. The DEP have indicated that, to effectively implement these rules, they will need to develop a product labeling and registration program for manufacturers and a product sampling and testing program for certification.
Stakeholders should be aware that some consumer products sold in Maine have had restrictions on:
• Penta-BDE mixture and Octa-BDE since 2006
• Deca-BDE mixture since 2008
The addition of restrictions on flame retardant chemicals in the state of Maine, means it joins several other US jurisdictions in restricting flame retardants. These include the Federal Government, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Washington DC.
Stakeholders are advised to check their products are compliant with the new law, which will come into effect on January 1, 2019. They should also be aware that the new law does make provision for new upholstered furniture containing restricted flame retardants, that were acquired by retailers and wholesalers before January 1, 2019, to be sold, offered for sale or distributed, until stocks are exhausted.
SGS Home Furnishings & Houseware Services
SGS helps companies deliver well-designed, functional, durable and safe products to their customers. They have the furniture industry, regulatory and technical expertise to check a products’ compliance against relevant international standards and/or your own specifications. Using their global network of laboratories, they provide a range of services, including analytical testing and consultancy for flame retardants in consumer products for the US and international markets. Learn more about SGS’s Home Furnishings & Houseware Services. [www.sgs.com/en/consumer-goods-retail/hardgoods/home-furnishings-and-houseware]
SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full Maine Restricts Flame Retardants in Residential Upholstered Furniture SafeGuardS. [www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/08/safeguards-12317-maine-restricts-flame-retardants-in-residential-upholstered-furniture]
Subscribe here, www.sgs.com/subscribesg, to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.
For further information contact:
Hing Wo Tsang PH.D
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel:(+852) 2774 7420
Email: crs.media ( @ ) sgs dot com
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 90,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,000 offices and laboratories around the world.
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam