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Shoring up mattress safety
By Washington Post
Published June 30, 2007
As of Sunday, all new mattresses and mattress sets must meet revised fire-safety standards, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC's new guidelines do not make mattresses fireproof. But the measures are expected to slow fires by controlling the spread of open flames, decreasing fire intensity and delaying what is called flashover, when the entire mattress is engulfed in flames. The CPSC estimates that at least 240 mattress fire-related deaths and more than 1, 000 injuries will be prevented with the new rules. Manufacturers can comply by coating mattresses in chemicals or by making them with fire-retardant materials. New mattresses that meet the guidelines will carry a mandatory label referring to the new rule, 16 CHR Part 1633. Stores will be allowed to sell the noncompliant mattresses they had in stock before the rule took effect.
[Last modified June 29, 2007, 11:06:13]
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