The term "clothing flammability" is defined as the speed at which fabrics used in clothing ignite and the rate at which they burn once ignited. Clothing can be dangerous and poses a serious risk of burn injury if the properties of the clothing cause it to ignite quickly and burn rapidly. The properties of clothing that require consideration in determining its ignition and burn rate are:

There are government regulations which govern clothing flammability. Under the Flammable Fabrics Act, 15 U.S.C. 1191-1204, the current flammability test for adult clothing is set forth in 16 CRF 1610. The apparel test, SC 191-53, simply requires that test samples take longer than one second to ignite from exposure of a small 5/8" butane flame to the surface of the sample. If the garment ignites, the time the flame moves 5.5" along the fabric is measured. If the time is less than 4 seconds, the garment fails. This test has been criticized as imprecise and misleading because it infers the garment is free from the dangers of flash flammability. There have also been claims that clothing that burns as easily as newspaper will pass the current flammability standard. However despite all the criticism, no changes have been made to the testing for this standard in more than 30 years.

 

On the other hand, the flammability standard for children's sleepwear, 16 CFR 1615-1616, is based on a more realistic view of real-world conditions. This is most likely due to a considerable amount of litigation brought against clothing makers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) active role in refining and amending the standard. Testing for this standard allows for a fabric to pass if it self-extinguishes. The standard's requirements only apply to children's sleepwear and are age/size sensitive in applicability. It is important to note that testing is self-regulated by clothing manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, and therefore all garments distributed for sale in the United States may not necessarily meet the testing requirements as provided in this standard. For information on CPSC's activity related to the children's sleepwear standard and/or children's sleepwear recalls visit: http://www.cpsc.gov.

 

Among CPSC's most recent activities is the warning campaign that follows: