March 11, 2008

Each year, mattress and bedding fires cause over 2,200 injuries and 380 deaths across the country. They are also the leading cause of fire death among pre-school children.

That frightening reality was easy to see today at a press conference at the county Department of Emergency Services, where the Grasslands Fire Brigade used a candle to demonstrate a live burn of two mattresses – one manufactured after a new federal flammability standard took effect on July 1, 2007 and another mattress manufactured before the guideline.

The older mattress was fully on fire in a matter of minutes, while the newer model, that met the federal standard, was only singed on the surface.
County Executive Andy Spano strongly urged residents to be careful when buying a new mattress. 

 “Your bedroom is full of highly flammable materials, including drapes, carpeting and wood furniture. And when you are asleep, any ignition source could cause the entire room to be engulfed in flames in a matter of minutes,” said Spano. “That is why it is critical that you take the time to ask questions about the new flammability standard when you shop for a new mattress, and look carefully for the safety label before you buy.” 

The new federal regulation, called 16 C.F.R. 1633, requires mattresses made or imported in the U.S. after July 2007 to meet the new flammability standard, which is designed to protect the mattress for 30 minutes before becoming fully engulfed in flames.  Spano, New York State Senator Vincent Leibell and Assemblyman Adam Bradley have been at the forefront of this issue and have been pushing for state legislation on mattress safety for several years. The measures were sent to committee, but Leibell and Bradley said they were pleased that the federal government had taken this important step.

“For too long, we have known about the dangers of mattresses but not required manufacturers to make them safer,” said Leibell. “The new federal regulation goes a long way to protecting people from bedroom accidents that could quickly become fatal fires.” Bradley agreed.

“Mattress fires are a national problem, and the new regulation represents a major step forward in keeping everyone safe,” Bradley said.

While the regulation is an improvement, consumers still have to be cautious when they shop for a new mattress.  The federal law allows retailers to continue to sell mattresses that were manufactured or imported before July 2007. Many stores in Westchester still display the older mattresses in their showrooms. Last month, the county Department of Consumer Protection visited nine stores in the county that sell mattresses. While there were some variations from store to store, about 75 percent of mattresses on display were manufactured prior to July 1, 2007 and do not meet the new flammability requirement, and therefore did not bear the new label.

Residents should ask about the flammability standard in the store and look for the label on the mattress before buying, said Gary Brown, director of the Department of Consumer Protection. Since most mattresses are delivered from a warehouse, consumers should also look for the label on the mattress when it is delivered, Brown said.

“You may even want to ask the store to state on the receipt that the mattress was made after July 1, 2007 and will bear the new safety label,” Brown said. “Otherwise, it’s possible that the warehouse could deliver the same mattress model you bought, but one that was manufactured before the law went into effect, and does not meet the new flammability standard.” 

After today’s demonstration, Tony Sutton, commissioner of the County Department of Emergency Service noted that while either bedroom fire could cause injuries, the newer mattress could provide critical time to allow a family to safely escape that fire.   He advised that even if you aren’t in the market for a new mattress, there are fire resistant protective mattress covers that meet the new flammability standards.

He also stressed the importance of not smoking in bed, conducting home fire drills and testing your smoke alarms at least once a month." Just walk around your house and press the test buttons on your smoke alarms,” Sutton said. “When you take that small step you are making a big step in protecting yourself and your family from a fire.”