What regulations for hotel carpets?

[Guest AllanUmb]

What fire regulations are required for carpets in hotels?

[Tom Sutton]

The previous fire safety legislation, the Fire Precaution Act was prescriptive and very clear all new floor coverings in circulation area had to conform to "BS 5287:1988 Specification for assessment and labeling of textile floor coverings tested to BS 4790" and of course "BS 4790:1987 Method for determination of the effects of a small source of ignition on textile floor coverings (hot metal nut method)".

However the new fire safety legislation,

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is risk based and not as clear. The general consensus of opinion is all circulation areas have to be sterile which means they have to be a low fire risk, however each fire risk assessor will interprete that in the light of his own experience.

IMO carpets conforming to the above British Standards will certainly help to reduce the fire loading and consequently the fire risk. You will need to consult with the Responsible Person (RP), the fire risk assessor, and maybe the Fire and Rescue Service being the enforcing Authority will also have an opinion.

[Guest Peter T]

Revival of an old thread. Which standard is more relevant to carpet tile fire testing now?

The BS4790:1987 hot nut test or EN131501-1:2019 classification of products and building elements.

 

Thanks in advance

[Tom Sutton]

If it is a new purchase and the hotel is located in the UK then I would use the British standard but premises that have used the European standard in the past i am sure, it will be accepted.