FLAMMABILITY OF NIGHTWEAR - Short version

The Commission has charged the European standardisation organisation CEN with the preparation of a feasibility study concerning normative requirements on the subject of flammability of nightwear. Based on the recommendations of the study the mandate to prepare a standard has finally been approved.

The Consumer Council has already dealt with these issues in advance of this work and commissioned several studies. Flammability experiments with dummies wearing night dresses have been performed and have been compared with standard tests. Further, three studies concerning health and environmental aspects of flame retardants in textiles including the possibilities for dealing with them in a normative manner have been carried out by the Department of Toxicology of the Austrian Research Centre.

The standards project is very disappointing from a consumer perspective. The requirements for children's nightwear are significantly below the level required in British law. For adults there is no protection at all - and that despite the fact that the mandate calls for a high level of protection. Absolutely unacceptable are also the normative requirements concerning flame retardants. Hence, legal measures should be implemented.