Canada Updates Flammability Standards for Textiles

The Canadian General Standards Board recently issued a revised standard for flammability of textiles – CAN/CGSB-4.2 No.27.5-2023, Textile test methods – Flame resistance – 45° angle test – One second flame impingement.

For textile products under the Textile Flammability Regulations SOR/2016-194, as well as the tight-fitted children’s sleepwear under the Children’s sleepwear Regulations SOR/2016-169, the flame spread time must be determined according to the test method CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.5, which gets amended from time to time

This standard determines the flame spread properties of a textile product when a specimen is supported at an angle of 45°, and a flame is applied to its surface for 1 second. It also describes the dry cleaning and laundering procedures for removing non-permanent flame-retardant treatments applied to textile products.

Guideline changes are as follows:

  1. Added definitions for “base burn”, “charred / charring” and “melting’:

    -Base burn – the base of a specimen having a raised fiber surface is ignited, charred, melted or fused to a point where the damage is apparent from the underside of the specimen.

    -Charring – formation of carbonaceous residue during pyrolysis or incomplete combustion.

    -Melting – phenomena accompanying the softening of a material under the influence of heat (including shrinking, dripping, and burning of molten material, etc.).

  2. Incorporated dry cleaning requirements from CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 30.3-1994

  3. Added informative Annex B outlining burning codes to describe results:

    -Did Not Ignite (DNI)

    -Ignited But Extinguished (IBE)

    -Surface Burn (SB)

    -Surface Burn, Base Burn (SBBB)

    -Surface Flash (SF)

    -Surface Flash, Base Burn (SFBB)

    -Timed Surface Flash (TSF)

    -Timed Surface Flash, Base Burn (TSFBB)

  4. Added informative Annex C to describe testing steps related to presence of flame retardants

  5. Updated figures

  6. Updated washing and drying parameters, cooling times and criteria for testing additional specimens

Reference:

• Textile test method CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.5-2023
• Industry Guide to Flammability of Textile Products in Canada​​​​​​​ 

Home Textile Inspection 

Textile products manufactured, imported, advertised or sold in Canada are subject to the CCPSA and must meet the flammability requirements set out in the Textile Flammability Regulations.

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