The Furniture and Furnishings Regulations 1988 (Fire Safety) sets out the standards for UK upholstery. The standards test how quickly fire will spread on a particular piece of fabric and dictates what level of fire retardancy/resistance (FR) a piece of fabric requires, depending on its use.

Fabrics used in homes for curtains or soft furnishings do not require any FR. Upholstery or large and/or fixed furnishings in the home require FR at ‘domestic’ level. For commercial premises a higher standard than that of domestic is required which is called ‘contract’ FR.