ISO 16502-2:2024

Furniture - Assessment of the ignitability of mattresses and upholstered bed bases - Part 2: Ignition source: match flame equivalent

This document specifies a test method to assess the ignitability of mattresses, upholstered bed bases or mattress pads when subjected to a gas flame as an ignition source. This document does not apply to air mattresses and water beds.

Ameublement — Évaluation de l'allumabilité des matelas et des sommiers rembourrés — Partie 2: Source d'allumage: flamme équivalente à celle d'une allumette

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 16-May-2024
• ICS: 13.220.40 - Ignitability and burning behaviour of materials and products
• ICS: 97.140 - Furniture
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 136 - Furniture
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 136 - Furniture
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 17-May-2024
• Due Date: 11-May-2025
• Completion Date: 17-May-2024

Overview

ISO 16502-2:2024 - Furniture - Assessment of the ignitability of mattresses and upholstered bed bases - Part 2: Ignition source: match flame equivalent is an ISO test method that specifies how to assess the ignitability of mattresses, upholstered bed bases and mattress pads when exposed to a controlled gas flame designed to be equivalent to a burning match. Published in 2024 as part of the ISO 16502 series, this standard does not apply to air mattresses or water beds.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and purpose: Defines a laboratory test to evaluate how easily a mattress or bed base ignites from a small open flame (match-flame equivalent).
• Ignition criteria: Distinguishes progressive smouldering and flaming ignition, and lists behaviors considered as ignition (escalating combustion, full-thickness smouldering, flame reaching margins, continued flaming >120 s after burner removal).
• Test principle: Apply a gas flame over the full upper surface or representative surface features so all zones are evaluated.
• Apparatus and setup:
  • Test rig: expanded steel/open mesh platform, at least 450 × 450 mm, supported ≥75 mm above a solid base.
  • Test enclosure: non-combustible fume cupboard or room (>20 m³) or controlled airflow enclosure (air speed <0.2 m/s near rig).
  • Ignition source: stainless steel burner tube (~8 mm OD, 6.5 mm ID, 200 mm long) fed with butane at (45 ± 2) ml/min to produce ~35 mm flame height.
  • Timing: clock accurate to 1 s, test duration and observation requirements specified.
• Safety and conditioning: Tests present hazards - use fume extraction, extinguishers, protective equipment; specimens conditioned and tested in defined atmospheres.
• Documentation: Test report requirements and a model report form (informative annex) are included.

Applications and who uses it

• Manufacturers of mattresses, upholstered bed bases and mattress pads for product development and compliance.
• Independent test laboratories and certification bodies performing ignitability testing and safety verification.
• Fire safety engineers, product designers and quality assurance teams assessing ignition risk and material selection.
• Regulators and procurement teams that reference furniture safety standards for market access and purchasing specifications.

This standard is practical for evaluating small open-flame ignition resistance and should be used alongside cigarette-ignition tests (other parts of the ISO 16502 series) to provide a comprehensive assessment of mattress ignitability.

Related standards

• Other parts of the ISO 16502 series (cigarette ignition and related test methods).
• General furniture safety guidance published by ISO/TC 136 - Furniture.

Keywords: ISO 16502-2:2024, mattress ignitability test, match flame equivalent, furniture safety standard, ignitability of mattresses.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 16502-2
First edition
Furniture — Assessment of the
2024-05
ignitability of mattresses and
upholstered bed bases —
Part 2:
Ignition source: match flame
equivalent
Ameublement — Évaluation de l'allumabilité des matelas et des
sommiers rembourrés —
Partie 2: Source d'allumage: flamme équivalente à celle d'une
allumette
Reference number
© ISO 2024
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Criteria of ignition . 2
4.1 Progressive smouldering ignition .2
4.2 Flaming ignition .2
5 Principle . 2
6 Instructions for use . . 3
6.1 General .3
6.2 Enclosure .3
6.3 Extinguishers .3
7 Apparatus . 3
7.1 Test rig .3
7.2 Test enclosure .4
7.3 Clock .4
7.4 Ignition source: gas flame ignition source, match-flame equivalent .4
7.5 Gas flow control .5
8 Atmospheres for conditioning and testing . 5
8.1 Conditioning.5
8.2 Testing .5
9 Test specimen . 6
9.1 General .6
9.2 Small scale .6
9.3 Full size .6
10 Test procedure . 6
10.1 Preparation .6
10.2 Ignition source application .6
10.3 Final examination .7
11 Test report . 7
Annex A (informative) Model test report form . 8

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
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with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
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this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by ISO/TC 136, Furniture.
A list of all parts in the ISO 16502 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
This document is a part of the ISO 16502 series concerned with the ignitability of mattresses and
upholstered bed bases using different ignition sources. The ignition source used in this document is a gas
flame equivalent to a match flame.
When mattresses or bed bases are used or stored on their own, it is desirable to know their ignitability in
their own right.
It cannot be assumed that protection against flaming sources automatically gives protection against
smouldering ignition. Users of this document should therefore recognize the need to submit test specimens
to both a gas flame equivalent to a match flame and cigarette ignition tests.
WARNING — Attention is drawn to the fact that the tests given in the test report (see Clause 11) are
not intended to reproduce the full fire hazards that may be encountered.

v
International Standard ISO 16502-2:2024(en)
Furniture — Assessment of the ignitability of mattresses and
upholstered bed bases —
Part 2:
Ignition source: match flame equivalent
1 Scope
This document specifies a test method to assess the ignitability of mattresses, upholstered bed bases or
mattress pads when subjected to a gas flame as an ignition source.
This document does not apply to air mattresses and water beds.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
progressive smouldering
exothermic oxidation, not accompanied by flaming (3.2), that is self-propagating, i.e. independent of the
ignition source (3.4), which may or may not be accompanied by incandescence
3.2
flaming
undergoing combustion in the gaseous phase with the emission of light
3.3
ignitability
measure of the ease with which a material, product or component can be ignited so as to flame or
progressively smoulder
3.4
ignition source
source of energy used to ignite combustible materials or products
3.5
mattress pad
upholstered product that is used in conjunction with, and to complement, a mattress (3.6) or upholstered
bed base (3.7)
3.6
mattress
upholstered product intended for sleeping upon
3.7
bed base
structure that supports a mattress (3.6) or the surface(s) of a mattress that support(s) a user
3.8
upper surface
surface of a bed base (3.7) that supports a mattress (3.6) or the surface(s) of a mattress that support(s) a user
4 Criteria of ignition
4.1 Progressive smouldering ignition
For the purposes of this document, all the following types of behaviour are considered to be progressive
smouldering ignitions:
a) any test assembly that displays escalating combustion behaviour so that it is unsafe to continue the test
and active extinction is necessary;
b) any test assembly that smoulders until it is largely consumed within the test duration;
c) any test assembly that smoulders to its full thickness, within the test duration;
d) any test assembly that smoulders after 1 h from the application of the ignition source;
e) any test assembly that, on final examination (see 10.3), shows evidence of progressive smouldering.
NOTE In practice it has been found that there is usually a clear distinction between materials w
...