Divan beds & Valances

[Malcolm]

Hi all I’m new to the forum and looking for some guidance.

We are in the process of applying for HMO registration for a residential service.

We are a registered charity with a property that was a convent. We were doing our final fire risk assessment when it dawned on us that although covered by fire retardant valances & matress covers, the actual divan beds predate the current fire regs. 

So the question is, do we have to replace 9 beds and mattresses (bearing in mind we are not for profit charity & money is tight)

Edited May 26, 2018 by Malcolm
Missed a word out

[Tom Sutton]

Being a charity bears no consideration and you are required to comply with the regulations.Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations and you will find, 

An amendment to the Regulations made in 1993 requires that all furniture supplied within rented accommodation (including those classified as ‘fixtures and fittings’) needs to meet the full requirements of the Regulations. These include holiday homes and residential furnished accommodation (such as houses, flats and bed-sits) which are let in the course of business, and affect persons who let such accommodation as a business activity. Furniture purchased since March 1990 should satisfy the Regulations and be permanently labelled. However, furniture purchased prior to this date will not necessarily satisfy all of the regulatory requirements. Furniture manufactured prior to 1950 is outside the scope of these Regulations.

My interpretation would be any furniture which includes upholstered beds bases and mattresses bought between 1950 and 1993 cannot comply, therefore does not meet the requirements of the FFFSR therefore would have to be changed. First check it out with your Trading Standards.

https://www.firesafe.org.uk/furniture-and-furnishings-fire-safety-regulations-19881989-and-1993/

[Malcolm]

Thanks for feedback Tom, its as I suspected but an independent opinion helps

[Malcolm]

On 29/05/2018 at 10:51, Tom Sutton said:

Being a charity bears no consideration and you are required to comply with the regulations.Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations and you will find, 

An amendment to the Regulations made in 1993 requires that all furniture supplied within rented accommodation (including those classified as ‘fixtures and fittings’) needs to meet the full requirements of the Regulations. These include holiday homes and residential furnished accommodation (such as houses, flats and bed-sits) which are let in the course of business, and affect persons who let such accommodation as a business activity. Furniture purchased since March 1990 should satisfy the Regulations and be permanently labelled. However, furniture purchased prior to this date will not necessarily satisfy all of the regulatory requirements. Furniture manufactured prior to 1950 is outside the scope of these Regulations.

My interpretation would be any furniture which includes upholstered beds bases and mattresses bought between 1950 and 1993 cannot comply, therefore does not meet the requirements of the FFFSR therefore would have to be changed. First check it out with your Trading Standards.

https://www.firesafe.org.uk/furniture-and-furnishings-fire-safety-regulations-19881989-and-1993/

I assume (for clarity) that covering the divan bases and mattresses with fitted flame retardant covers (labled) would not suffice?

 

[Tom Sutton]

I think it is crazy for not complying for a piece of legislation that didn't exist without a means of complying, when it was later included, other than deposing of the items.