‘Are you sitting comfortably’ campaign shows sofa safety puts lives at risk

Research carried out on sofas at a testing centre in the Netherlands has found that 25 out of 27 European Union member states do not meet the required fire safety standards.

One sofa manufactured in the Netherlands burnt so fiercely that the test centre had to be evacuated demonstrating the seriousness of the problem. Some sofas tested reached life threatening heat density within 2-7 minutes of ignition. Sofas made in the UK did not reach this level of heat density for around 20 minutes.

A campaign titled ‘Are you sitting comfortably’ has been launched across the European Union in an attempt to highlight the risks to other countries.  The campaign includes a website that offers an interactive tool allowing people to watch how fast their country’s sofa burnt in comparison to sofas in other EU countries.

It is important to remember that buying your sofa in the UK does not guarantee that it adheres to the required safety standards because buying in the UK does not necessarily mean made in the UK.  Consumers are encouraged to check the permanent safety label which is usually found under the sofa cushions.

Former fire chief, Robert Graham MBE said “We are calling on EU decision makers to put a Europe-wide single fire safety standard in place – the same fire safety standard that already exists in the UK and Ireland. We all deserve to be safe”.