New Flammability Standard Proposed for Upholstered Furniture, May Eliminate Use of Carcinogens

The California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation issued Proposed New Flammability Standards for Upholstered Furniture, which would overhaul the State's decades-old furniture flammability standard, known as Technical Bulletin 117 (TB-117).  TB-117 led to the addition of harmful flame retardant chemicals--such as chlorinated Tris, a chemical known to cause cancer--in the foam padding of furniture and baby products.   The flame retardants in use to comply with TB-117 are considered ineffective.  Instead of protecting against furniture fires, the flame retardant chemicals find their way into household dust, our food supply, soil, rivers and oceans, and pose harm to children, pregnant mothers, families, and firefighters. They are linked to many health problems, including lower IQs in children, reduced fertility, and increased cancer risks.

The Chanler Group represents citizen enforcers who, acting in the public interest,  enforce each citizen’s right to know when they are exposed to toxic chemicals found in consumer products sold in California and who hold companies accountable for unwarned exposures through imposition of civil penalties and injunctive relief, often requiring the removal of the offensive chemicals. Clients of The Chanler Group have issued dozens of Proposition 65 notices to manufacturers and retailers regarding the presence of toxic chemicals in their products that are sold in California without a warning.