The Office for Product Safety & Standards has issued an amended guidance on the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 2025 legislation.
The amendments include changes to a number of regulations including the removal of certain baby and young children’s products from scope of the regulations, the removal of the requirement for manufacturers to affix a display label to new products and to extend the time frame for instituting legal proceedings from 6 – 12 months. Detailed information on each amendment is listed below.
The changes brought about by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 were informed by a public consultation held between August and October 2023 and were announced by the Government in January 2025.
“This guidance is designed to help businesses understand the changes made by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 which come into force on 30 October 2025,” the statement said.
“Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers must understand and adapt to these amended provisions to ensure continued compliance with the updated regulatory landscape.”
Removal of certain baby and children’s products
“The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 set out a list of baby and children’s products to be excluded from scope of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
“This will reduce the risk of exposure to chemical flame retardants of babies and young children at a significant stage in their development where the fire risk is lower than the chemical exposure risk. The fire risk of these products is much reduced compared to other upholstered furniture as they are not exposed to the same risks of accidental ignition, by cigarettes or similar ignition sources.”
These include mattresses and upholstery designed for the use of babies on certain requirements, as well as other products such as play pens, car seats and mats. The full list can be seen here.
Labelling requirements
To remove all requirements relating to a display label, also commonly known as a swing label, from the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. “This includes removing the requirement for manufacturers to attach a relevant display label to new products, as it is considered that the permanent label carries all relevant compliance information
“These changes do not impact obligations relating to the permanent label, a durable label attached to furniture as required by regulation 11 of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and set out in Schedule 7 to the Regulations.
“Second-hand supply of furniture will also still require a permanent label and suppliers of second-hand furniture should familiarise themselves with requirements of regulation 14 of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended.
“The Government recognises that these changes are being introduced without a transition period. As a result, businesses will likely have existing stock of products that have a display label attached after 30 October 2025. If they choose to do so, businesses will be able to continue selling those products, containing display labels, as long as the labelling is an accurate representation of compliance.”
The time limit to institute legal proceedings
To extend the time limit for enforcement authorities to begin legal proceedings in cases of non-compliance across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from six to twelve months. “This applies to offenses under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 pertaining to the 1988 Regulations.”
