The Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs can be found at 16 C.F.R. part 1630. The Standard for the Surface Flammability of Small Carpets and Rugs can be found at 16 C.F.R. part 1631.
For more information on the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA), visit our FFA business guidance page.
A carpet or rug (large) is a finished fabric or similar product intended to be used as a floor covering and has dimensions of more than 6 feet long and an area greater than 24 ft2. This definition also includes “carpet squares” intended to be installed in dimensions of more than 6 feet long and an area greater than 24 ft2. This definition excludes resilient floor coverings, such as linoleum and vinyl tile.
A small carpet or rug is the same as the definition above but has no dimension more than 6 feet long and an area not greater than 24 ft2.
All carpets and rugs manufactured, imported, or sold in the United States must meet the flammability (acceptance) criterion of 16 C.F.R. part 1630, the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs, or 16 C.F.R. part 1631, the Standard for the Surface Flammability of Small Carpets and Rugs.
Under 16 C.F.R. § 1631.5(a), small carpets and rugs that do not meet 16 C.F.R. part 1631 may be manufactured, imported, or sold in the United States, provided they are permanently labeled with the following statement: FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70): SHOULD NOT BE USED NEAR SOURCES OF IGNITION. Please note that carpets and rugs (large) subject to 16 C.F.R. part 1630 do not have a similar allowance or labeling provision and must meet the flammability (acceptance) criterion.
This test consists of exposing eight 9″ x 9″ conditioned specimens to a timed burning tablet in a specified test chamber.
The apparatus and test materials required to conduct the test are specified in 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.4(a) and 1631.4(a).
In summary, each specimen is placed in the center of the floor of the test chamber, traffic side up. Place the flattening frame on the specimen and position a methenamine-timed burning tablet on one of its flat sides in the center of the 8″ flattening frame hole. Ignite the top of the tablet by touching it with a lighted match, lighter, or other equivalent flame source. Allow test to continue until:
- all flames and glowing disappear, or
- the flaming or smoldering has gone to within 1″ of the flattening frame.
A single specimen meets the test criterion if the charred portion of the tested specimen is not within 1.0″ of the edge of the hole in the flattening frame.
Acceptance criterion – at least 7 of the 8 replicate specimens of a given carpet and rug must meet the individual specimen test criterion in order to conform to this standard.
Yes, as stated in 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.5 and 1631.5(b), if the carpet or rug has had a fire-retardant treatment or is made of fibers that have had a fire-retardant treatment, it must be labeled with the letter “T.” The letter “T” should be legible and conspicuous on the label and/or invoice or other paper related to the carpet and rug, if commercially installed.
Under 16 C.F.R. § 1631.5(a), small carpets and rugs that do not meet the acceptance criterion of the standard must be permanently labeled with the following statement: FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70): SHOULD NOT BE USED NEAR SOURCES OF IGNITION.
Carpets and rugs treated with a fire retardant or made from fire-retardant materials are to be washed or laundered 10 times prior to testing using the methods required in the standard at 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.4(b)(1)(ii) and 1631.4(b)(1)(ii).
As stated at 16 C.F.R. § 1630.63(c), laundering requirement for large carpets and rugs that use alumina trihydrate, a fire retardant in adhesives, foams, or latexes in carpet backings or elsewhere in the backings, is currently suspended.
Shearling or hide carpets and rugs that consist of natural wool or hair attached to the hide with no synthetic fibers and that have been treated with a fire retardant may use an alternative wash procedure as specified in the standards at 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.61 or 1631.61. Shearling and hide carpets and rugs using this alternative procedure must also be labeled with a conspicuous, legible, and permanent label containing the statements in 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.61(c) or 1631.61(c).
Wool flokati carpets and rugs may use an alternative wash procedure as specified in the standard at 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.62 or 1631.62. Wool flokati carpets and rugs using this alternative procedure must also be labeled with a conspicuous, legible, and permanent label containing the statements at 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.62(c) or 1631.62(c).
Reasonable and representative tests must be conducted to issue a guaranty to a retailer or distributor. Each line/style of carpets or rugs (that are identical in all respects, including such things as dye class, dyestuff, and dying application method) must have at least one test conducted at the beginning of production, importation, or receipt of the first 25,000 linear yards and one test for every additional 50,000 linear yards.
If a guaranty is issued, the person issuing the guaranty must maintain specific records to support the guaranty, as described in 16 C.F.R. §§ 1630.31(g) or 1631.31(g).
CPSC staff is aware that the following types of untreated rugs typically fail the flammability testing requirements:
- Shag/Fluffy
- Carpets/Rugs with a Polyurethane Foam Layer for Cushioning
Bathmats typically meet the definition of a “small carpet” under 16 C.F.R. § 1631.1(c) and are likely subject to 16 C.F.R. part 1631.
Baby play mats may meet the definition of a “carpet” under 16 C.F.R. § 1630.1(c) or a “small carpet” under 16 C.F.R. § 1631.1(c). If the play mat meets one of these definitions, it is likely in scope and subject to 16 C.F.R. part 1630 or 1631.
General-use (non-children’s) carpets and rugs are required to have a General Certificate of Conformity, also known as a GCC. Manufacturers and importers of general-use products for which consumer product safety rules apply, such as general-use carpets and rugs, must certify, in a written GCC, based on testing or a reasonable testing program, that the products comply with 16 C.F.R. part 1630 or 1631.
There are general requirements for products primarily designed or intended for children 12 years of age or younger:
- Lead in paint and similar surface coatings: Children’s products must not bear paint and/or similar surface coatings that contain more than 0.009 percent (90 ppm) lead.
- Examples include printing processes that use a liquid or semi-liquid surface coating that hardens (e.g., screen printing)
- Total lead content: Children’s products must not contain greater than 100 ppm (0.01 percent) of total lead content in any accessible component part. 16 C.F.R. § 1500.87 addresses determination of accessibility for the purposes of the total lead content rule.
- Examples include heat transfer vinyl, metallic threads/fibers
- CPSC made a determination under 16 C.F.R. § 1500.91(d)(7) that textiles (excluding those that contain treatments or applications that do not consist entirely of dyes) are not required to be tested for total lead content. CPSC made similar determinations for plant-derived and animal derived materials at 16 C.F.R. § 1500.91(d)(8) and certain metals and alloys at 16 C.F.R. § 1500.91(e).
- Third-party testing: Children’s products must be tested for compliance to applicable safety rules by a third-party, CPSC-accepted laboratory.
- Certification: Domestic manufacturers or importers of children’s products must generate a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) certifying compliance to the applicable safety rules and ensures that a CPC accompanies the distribution of the product.
- Tracking label: Children’s products must bear distinguishing, permanent marks on the product and any packaging that allow consumers to ascertain the identity of the manufacturer or private labeler, date and place of manufacture, detailed information on the manufacturing process (i.e., batch or run number), and the specific source of the product (e.g., address of the specific manufacturing plant).