Fire-safety label
Also called: permanent label, Carelessness causes fire label
The permanent label required on domestic upholstered furniture supplied in the UK, recording compliance with the ignition-resistance requirements of the 1988 Regulations.
The fire-safety label is the permanent label required on domestic upholstered furniture supplied in the UK under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, amended in 1989, 1993 and 2010.
It is headed “Carelessness causes fire” and, as a minimum, records:
- that caution
- a batch or identification number
- whether the item includes a fire-resistant interliner
- a summary of the measures taken to demonstrate compliance
A separate display (swing) label was historically attached at the point of sale to indicate ignition resistance. The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, in force from 30 October 2025, removed that requirement for new furniture; the permanent label now carries the compliance information alone.
Certain items are outside the display-labelling requirement in any case: mattresses, bed bases, pillows, scatter cushions, seat pads, and loose or stretch covers sold separately from the furniture.
The underlying ignition testing uses the EN 1021 series, which assesses cover and filling as a combination against a smouldering cigarette (Part 1) and a match flame equivalent (Part 2).
Practical consequence for anyone caring for a piece: do not remove the label, and understand that recovering or reupholstering changes the tested combination.