The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend the 1988 Regulations.
Key changes include removing certain baby and child products from the definition of "furniture," eliminating specific labeling requirements, and extending the time limit for legal proceedings related to fire safety offenses to twelve months.
The amendments aim to clarify the regulatory framework and reduce burdens on businesses, although concerns remain about potential impacts on fire safety and enforcement.
Arguments For
Reduced Regulatory Burden: Removing certain products from the scope of the 1988 Regulations and simplifying labeling requirements reduces administrative burdens on businesses, particularly smaller manufacturers.
Improved Clarity and Consistency: The amendments clarify the definition of "furniture" and streamline the regulatory framework, making compliance easier to understand and implement.
Enhanced Consumer Safety: While removing specific products from the scope, the extended time limit in legal proceedings ensures that affected parties can seek legal redress if necessary.
Alignment with Modern Products and Markets: The changes accommodate the evolution of available products for babies and children while maintaining important safety aspects, making the rules fit the current market.
Support for Small Businesses: The reduction in paperwork should result in reduced costs for smaller companies involved with baby and child products, reducing pressures on these enterprises.
Arguments Against
Potential for Increased Fire Risk (albeit marginal): Removing certain types of baby and child products from the regulations might marginally increase the risk of fire, though this is likely to be very limited.
Enforcement Challenges: Removing some regulations might make consistent enforcement more difficult, even with the extension of the time limit for legal proceedings.
Market Distortions: Changes could lead to inconsistencies in safety standards across various product categories, and there might be unintended effects or difficulties in market monitoring.
Lack of Comprehensive Impact Assessment: The absence of a full impact assessment raises concerns about the potential unforeseen consequences of these regulatory amendments.
Potential for Market Confusion: Changes to labeling could confuse consumers if not adequately communicated and might lead to misinterpretations regarding fire safety of certain products.
- Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. (2) These Regulations come into force on the day after the expiry of a period of six months starting with the date on which they are laid before Parliament. (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. (4) In these Regulations “the 1988 Regulations” means the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 19882.
This section details the citation, effective date, geographic scope, and interpretation of terms used in the regulations.
The regulations will be known as the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into effect six months after presentation to Parliament.
They apply across the UK. The term "1988 Regulations" refers to the previously existing Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
- Amendments to the 1988 Regulations The 1988 Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 3, 4 and 5.
This section indicates that the following three regulations (3, 4, and 5) make changes to the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations.
- Removal of certain products from scope of the 1988 Regulations In paragraph (1) of regulation 3 (interpretation), in the definition of “furniture” for sub-paragraph (a) substitute— “(a) furniture of any description which is ordinarily intended for private use in a dwelling and— (i) includes— (aa) beds and divans (including the bases and headboards of both); (bb) sofa-beds; (cc) cushions; (dd) mattresses and pillows; (ii) does not include— (aa) bedding or floor coverings (including carpets and mats); (bb) mattresses intended for use by babies and children, if the length is less than 170 cm and the width is less than 75 cm; (cc) modular mattresses intended for use by babies and children, if the largest component has a length of less than 170 cm and a width of less than 75 cm; (dd) upholstery designed to be used with baby furniture; (ee) play pens; (ff) children’s car seats; (gg) play mats; (hh) baby changing mats; (ii) prams, pushchairs, buggies and strollers; (jj) cots, cribs and cradles, including carry cots, bassinets, Moses baskets, travel cots and bedside sleepers; (kk) cot bumpers; (ll) upholstered bed side barriers intended to be used to prevent a child falling out of bed; (mm) baby rockers and bouncers; (nn) baby nests; (oo) baby highchairs and lowchairs; (pp) chair-mounted and table-mounted children’s booster seats; (qq) baby walkers;”.
This regulation modifies the definition of "furniture" within the 1988 Regulations.
Specifically, it removes several types of baby and children's products, such as mattresses, cots, and prams, from the scope of the fire safety regulations.
The existing list of items included in the definition of 'furniture' remains largely unchanged.
Only items with specific dimensions are exempted.
- Labelling (1) Omit regulation 10 (labelling requirements: display labels). (2) In regulation 14 (second-hand furniture) omit paragraphs (3) and (4). (3) Omit Schedules 6 and 8.
This regulation removes certain labeling requirements.
It eliminates regulation 10, which detailed display label requirements for all furniture items.
It also removes paragraphs (3) and (4) from regulation 14 (dealing with second-hand furniture) and entirely removes schedules 6 and 8, which likely contained further details on labeling specifics.
- Insertion of regulation 16 After regulation 15 (prohibition on supply) insert—
- Time limit for proceedings for offences (1) A magistrates’ court in England and Wales may try an information for a section 12 offence if the information was laid within twelve months from the time when the offence was committed. (2) A magistrates’ court in Northern Ireland may try a complaint for a section 12 offence if the complaint was made within twelve months from the time when the offence was committed. (3) Summary proceedings for a section 12 offence may be brought in Scotland at any time within twelve months from the time when the offence was committed. (4) In this regulation “section 12 offence” means an offence against these Regulations under section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. (5) This regulation does not apply in relation to an offence committed before the coming into force of regulation 5 of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.
This regulation adds a new regulation (regulation 16) to the 1988 regulations.
This new regulation extends the time limit for initiating legal proceedings for offenses related to the 1988 regulations from six months to twelve months for all UK jurisdictions.
The change applies to offenses after the regulations come into effect.
Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations amend the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (“the 1988 Regulations”). Regulation 3 amends the definition of “furniture” in the 1988 Regulations to omit certain types of products intended for babies and young children. Regulation 4 amends the 1988 Regulations to remove provisions which put in place a requirement for a display label, both at the initial point of sale and in the secondhand market. Regulation 5 inserts regulation 16 into the 1988 Regulations, which extends the time limit for instituting legal proceedings arising from an offence against the 1988 Regulations from six months to twelve months. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or business sectors is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum has been published alongside these Regulations and is available at www.legislation.gov.uk.
The explanatory note summarizes the regulations' changes: amending the definition of "furniture" to exclude certain baby and children's products; removing display label requirements; and extending the timeframe for legal proceedings.
Importantly, it notes that a full impact assessment was not deemed necessary due to the anticipated minimal impact on businesses and individuals.
A more detailed explanatory memorandum is available online.