BRITISH STANDARD BS 5287:1988

Specification for

Assessment and
labelling of textile floor
coverings tested to
BS 4790

UDC 645.1:[001.818:677.027.85]:536.468:620.1
BS 5287:1988

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Textiles and
Clothing Standards Committee (TCM/-) to Technical Committee TCM/3 upon
which the following bodies were represented:

British Carpet Manufacturers’ Association

British Indian Coir Mats Association
Carpet Cleaners’ Association
Chartered Society of Designers
Consumer Policy Committee of BSI
Contract Flooring Association
Crown Suppliers
Department of the Environment [Building Research Establishment
(Fire Research Station)]
Department of Trade and Industry (CTPS Division)
Fibre Bonded Carpet Manufacturers’ Association
Home Office
Institute of Trading Standards Administration
International Wool Secretariat
London Institute
London Scientific Services
Man-made Fibres Producers’ Committee
National Association of Retail Furnishers
National Association of Workshops for the Blind
National Institute of Carpet Fitters
Power Loom Carpet Weavers’ and Textile Workers’ Association
Royal Institute of British Architects
Textile Research Council
Wholesale Floorcovering Distributors’ Association

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Textiles and
Clothing Standards Committee,
was published under the authority
of the Board of BSI and comes
into effect on
30 November 1988

© BSI 07-1999
Amendments issued since publication
First published January 1976
First revision November 1988 Amd. No. Date of issue Comments

The following BSI references

relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference TCM/3
Draft for comment 87/42255 DC

ISBN 0 580 16857 3

 BS 5287:1988

Contents

Page
Committees responsible Inside front cover
Foreword ii
1 Scope 1
2 Testing and labelling 1
Appendix A Meaning of “radius of effects of ignition” 2
Table 1 — Test results and labelling for contract use 1
Publications referred to Inside back cover

© BSI 07-1999 i
BS 5287:1988

Foreword

This British Standard has been prepared under the direction of the Textiles and
Clothing Standards Committee. It is a revision of BS 5287:1976 which is
withdrawn. Assessment of the behaviour of textile floor coverings tested in
accordance with BS 4790 is valuable in determining the ease with which the
textile floor covering would ignite under practical conditions, e.g. when a burning
cigarette, a hot coal, or a similar source of ignition is dropped on it.
It is emphasized that the method of test described in BS 4790 is not intended to
give an overall indication of the potential fire hazard presented by a textile floor
covering under actual conditions of use. Other methods of test, such as the
radiant panel test1) described in ASTM-E648:19782), may be used to assess the
performance of textile floor coverings in a fire situation. This test is intended to
indicate the spread of flame under conditions of controlled heat flux and may lead
to a further British Standard.
In this revision two forms of giving information on the performance of textile floor
coverings when tested according to BS 4790 are specified. In the first a pass
criterion is specified for textile floor coverings for domestic use. In the second
three more detailed categories of performance for contract use are specified on the
basis of the radius of the effects of ignition. Both forms of providing this
information take account of the specimen mounting method used in the test.
Information relating to the practical meaning of “radius of ignition” is given in
Appendix A.
As a result of these considerations, very careful attention should be given to the
statement made on the textile floor covering label and in sales literature in regard
to flammability. It should be simple, unambiguous and authoritative.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 and 2, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.

1) Atpresent the subject of an international interlaboratory trial in ISO/TC38, as Draft

Proposal 9239.
2) Available from the Library, BSI, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes MK14 6LE.

ii © BSI 07-1999
 BS 5287:1988

1 Scope Table 1 — Test results and labelling for

contract use
This British Standard specifies the form of
assessment of the behaviour of textile floor Radius of affected Information to be given on the label
coverings when subjected to the small source of areaa
ignition test described in BS 4790; and gives mm
requirements for conveying the information Up to 35 When tested according to the
obtained to domestic and contract users. It is appropriate methoda of BS 4790
applicable to all types of textile floor coverings used this floor covering has a low
in the horizontal position. radius (up to 35 mm) of effects of
NOTE 1 The test method described in BS 4790 is used in this
ignition
standard to provide some assessment of the potential hazard of Over 35 up to 75 When tested according to the
textile floor coverings being ignited from a small ignition source
such as a lighted match, a burning cigarette or a glowing coal. In appropriate methoda of BS 4790
no circumstances should the test results thus obtained be used to this floor covering has a medium
assess the contribution the textile floor coverings will make to an radius (over 35 mm up
established fire.
to 75 mm) of effects of ignition
NOTE 2 The titles of the publications referred to in this
standard are listed on the inside back cover. Over 75 When tested according to the
appropriate methoda of BS 4790
2 Testing and labelling this floor covering has a high
The textile floor coverings shall be tested in radius (over 75 mm) of effects of
accordance with BS 4790 using the specimen ignition
mounting method 1, 2 or 3. a Specimen
mounting method 1,2 or 3 of BS 4790, that is:
The mounting method selected shall be the one method 1: loose-laid;
which most closely resembles the method to be used method 2: fully-adhered;
for laying the textile floor covering. method 3 loose-laid with underlay.

According to its observed behaviour under test, a

specimen shall be considered satisfactory if the
radius of the affected area is not greater
than 75 mm. The minimum information to be given
on the manufacturer’s label for domestic users shall
be:
BS 5287 flammability loose-laid
(effects of a small fully adhered PASS
ignition source) loose-laid with
underlay
For contract use the minimum information
describing the observed behaviour under test shall
be as given in Table 1.
NOTE Other tests, such as the radiant panel test referred to in
the foreword, may be used to provide additional information on
the label.
If both the area of the exposed use-surface and the
area of the under-surface are measured in the test
the greater of the two measurements shall be used
to record the observed behaviour under test.

© BSI 07-1999 1
BS 5287:1988

Appendix A Meaning of “radius of

effects of ignition”
The principle of the method of BS 4790 is that a
stainless steel nut heated to 900 °C is placed on the
use-surface of the material to be tested and the
greatest radius of the effects of ignition from the
point of application of the nut is measured both on
the use-surface and on the under-surface.
A result up to and including 35 mm, which can be
described as “low radius of effects of ignition”,
indicates that if the material is ignited from a small
source such as a lighted match or a glowing coal, it
will not spread flame under normal conditions in the
absence of supporting thermal radiation.
A result greater than 35 mm and up to 75 mm,
which can be described as “medium radius of effects
of ignition”, indicates that if the material is ignited
it will spread flame to a limited extent only.
A result of over 75 mm, which can be described as
“high radius of effects of ignition”, indicates that the
material will ignite and may continue to spread
flame.

2 © BSI 07-1999
 BS 5287:1988

Publications referred to

BS 4790, Method for determination of the effects of a small source of ignition on textile floor coverings
(hot metal nut method).
ASTM-E648, Standard test method for critical radiant flux of floor covering systems using a radiant heat
energy source3)4).
ISO/DP 9239, Critical radiant flux of textile floor coverings using a radiant heat energy source3).

3)
Referred to in the foreword only.
4)
Available from the Library, BSI, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes MK14 6LE.

© BSI 07-1999
BS 5287:1988

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