A considered approach to fire safety
Fleming Howland furniture is produced in accordance with the fire safety regulations applicable in the country of delivery. Each item is specified to meet the required standard, ensuring compliance while preserving the integrity of traditional upholstery materials and methods.
International compliance
Fire safety requirements vary significantly by market. In all cases a FR interliner is used to meet EN 1021‑1 / EN 1021‑2 (cigarette & match ignition tests) Upholstery.
United Kingdom
Upholstered furniture must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended), which require the use of certified fire-retardant fillings, including foam.
Europe, United States and rest of world
Regulations typically rely on smoulder resistance testing rather than open-flame performance. These standards do not require the use of chemically treated foam.
Fleming Howland manufactures each piece to the relevant local standard, with full certification and traceability.
Our construction method: barrier over chemical treatment
Where regulations allow, Fleming Howland adopts a barrier-based approach to fire compliance.
For fabric upholstery:
A specialist interliner (fire barrier fabric) is placed between the outer fabric and the filling.
This prevents ignition from reaching the core materials.
The outer fabric remains untreated, preserving its natural handle, tone and performance.
This method achieves compliance without relying on additional chemical treatment of visible materials.
Use of fire-retardant foam
Fire-retardant (FR) foam is used only where explicitly required by local regulations, such as within the UK.
All foam used in these cases is fully certified to the applicable standard.
Materials are sourced from approved suppliers with complete compliance documentation.
Where regulations do not require FR-treated foam, Fleming Howland specifies non-FR foam in combination with barrier materials, in line with international best practice.
Material composition across our production
As the majority of Fleming Howland furniture is produced for export to markets that do not mandate FR-treated foam, most items are constructed using barrier methods rather than chemical-dependent solutions.
In practice, this means that approximately 90% of Fleming Howland furniture does not use FR chemical treatment, because most of our production is exported to countries where such treatment is not required.
This reflects a consistent internal policy:
Prioritise construction-led fire safety.
Minimise unnecessary chemical treatment where compliant alternatives exist.
Maintain the natural qualities of upholstery materials.
Transparency and traceability
Each piece is supplied with:
Appropriate compliance labelling for its destination market
Full material traceability
Supporting documentation available upon request
Ongoing review
Fire safety standards continue to evolve internationally. Fleming Howland actively monitors regulatory developments and adopts improved methods where they enhance both safety performance and material integrity.