Treating Fabric To Crib 5 For Hospitality Use

Treating Fabric To Crib 5 For Hospitality Use

Making sure upholstery conforms to fire safety standards is particularly complex but it's a legal requirement if you are creating a commercial space of any kind.

For hospitality venues such as hotels, restaurants, bars and casinos, fabric must be able to pass three fire tests.

BSEN1021-1 - Cigarette test - Fabric has the equivalent of a smouldering cigarette applied to it

BSEN1021-2 - Match test - Fabric has the equivalent of a burning match applied to it

BS5852:1990 Sect 4 IS5 - Crib 5 test, A wooden stack called a crib is placed on the fabric and ignited.

What does a Crib 5 test look like?

A Crib 5 stack is made of wood and resembles Jenga blocks. It needs to be 5 tiers high to pass a Crib 5 or 7 tiers high to pass the larger Crib 7 test required for prison cells. A Crib 5 stack is specially made to keep test conditions fair.

Testing

Crib 5 testing is done by wrapping the fabric over CMHR foam - it resembles a miniature replication of a sofa. To pass the test the flames must extinguish themselves before 10 minutes and the never burn to the end of the material or through the foam behind. Turn your sound on for a walk-through of the tests and what must happen for the fabric to pass.

Treating fabrics to Crib 5 standard

The composition of fabrics differ and their inherent fire resistance varies wildly as a result. Many fabrics can be treated - sprayed on the back with a rubbery chemical - which will stop the fire spreading and help it to burn itself out. Remember that the fabric will always burn, because only the back of the fabric is treated, and acts as a kind of firewall extinguishing the flames when the fabric burns through to it.

How do you know that treating the fabric will work?

You don't. Each fabric has a different composition, so it's not possible to know in advance whether it can be treated and if the treatment will work, even if a similar fabric has previously been tested successfully. Treating fabric is a trial and error process and every fabric will need to be tested under the conditions set to find out the results.

Interliners

Some fabric will only pass the cigarette and match test and not the Crib 5. Fabric like this needs to be used with a Felt Crib 5 Interliner underneath. The reasons for the fabric failing the test can vary - the fabric will change colour or structure if treated to Crib 5; the fabric is lumpy and increases the flame rather then retaining it; the fabric is inherently cigarette and match but it is not suitable for treatment. The Crib 5 interliner only works if the fabric has passed a cigarette and match test.

Young Yao 

Marketing development manager

Zhejiang Ruico Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. (Stock No.873233)

Add: No.188, Liangshan Road, Linghu Town, Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China 313018

Phone: +86 (572) 2903236

Fax: +86 (572) 2905222

WhatsApp: +86 15088303595

Website:www.ruicoglobal.com

Email: [email protected]