Flammability Guidance for Contract Seating: Fire Safety of Office Work Chairs in Domestic Environments

Overview

This guidance, originally developed in 2021 for the contract seating industry to address fire safety considerations when contract seating is used in home environments, has been updated following the removal of the display label from the FFFSR as part of the October 2025 regulatory update.

Produced in collaboration with Trading Standards, it explains when the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations (2025) apply in full, and how the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR) may also apply in specific circumstances.

It provides clarity on regulatory responsibilities and helps businesses understand their obligations under current UK legislation.

What the Guidance Covers

The document examines four commonly encountered scenarios:

• Legacy chairs
  Chairs marketed and supplied for contract use prior to the pandemic and mass migration to home working.
   
• Contract chairs taken home
  Chairs marketed for contract use, but which may have been taken home (marketed and supplied for contract use after the start of the pandemic and the mass migration to home working).
   
• Chairs sold for domestic use
  Contract seating knowingly marketed or supplied for use in a home environment.
   
• Mesh chairs or mesh components
  Chairs constructed entirely from mesh or incorporating mesh components (e.g. mesh backrests).

In addition to detailed advice on the four scenarios above, the guidance includes:

• Summary guidelines
• What needs to be covered under the General Product Safety Regulations
• Permanent labels
• Full text of clarification from TSO
• Definition of a ‘safe product’ according to the GPSR (2005)
• Example risk assessment and accompanying notes
• Primary causes of fire in dwellings
• Ignition sources and probability of contact with an office task chair
• Flammability performance of mesh