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30. 04. 2025

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Reaction to fire: Italian market - 2° tranche

Let's answer some frequently asked questions forwarded to us by our customers.

This month's topic is fire reaction for upholstered furniture.

After a first appointment where more general questions were addressed (if interested, please see the link: https://catas.com/it-IT/news/reazione-al-fuoco), below we will put the focus on questions related to certain furniture components:

  1. Do the armrests made of integral polyurethane foam need to be tested?
  2. Must the plywood panel of the backrest or the elastic straps of the seat of an upholstered item of furniture be “fireproof”?
  3. Must the bottom cloth that cover the underside part of an upholstered piece of furniture be “fireproof”?
  4. Are there specific requirements for the meshes used in the backrests of upholstered office chairs?

1. Do the armrests made of integral polyurethane foam need to be tested?
Yes, they need to be tested. Even if the foam has a high density, the material is considered as a filling material/padding and therefore it is subject to the same test (UNI9175) required for other upholstered parts.


2. Must the plywood panel of the backrest or the elastic straps of the seat of an upholstered item of furniture be “fireproof”?
No, they must not. The classification of an upholstered piece of furniture is limited to the upholstered parts. The materials of the frame and/or the support are irrelevant for the purposes of classification.


3. Must the bottom cloth that cover the underside part of an upholstered piece of furniture be “fireproof”?
If a non-padded textile material (fabric, TNT, canvas, etc.) is used to close the underside part (without filling materials) of an upholstered piece of furniture, this must be a class 1 fire reaction material (UNI9177).
In these cases, either the bottom cloth is “Omologato” (by the manufacturer) in class 1, end-use “sipari, drappeggi, tendaggi” or the possible alternatives are:
  • remove it;
  • replace it with a rigid material (hardboard, plywood, MDF, etc.);
  • replace it with the outer cover used in the upholstered parts (this is an unwritten rule but for the moment it is accepted by the Italian Ministry of the Interior).

4. Are there specific requirements for the meshes used in the backrests of upholstered office chairs?
If the seat (or backrest) of upholstered chairs is made of non-rigid material (textile material, leather, discontinuous surface such as mesh or made of woven materials), this must be class 1 for reaction to fire (UNI9177).
In these cases, either the mesh is “Omologata” (by the manufacturer) in class 1, end-use “sipari, drappeggi, tendaggi” or it is necessary for you to certify it as manufacturer.


We would like to inform you in advance that in the next round of FAQs dedicated to fire reaction-Italian market, we will answer frequently asked questions related to "omologazione".



For info:
Daniele Barbiero
+398 0432 747256
[email protected]