BS 7176 Explained: Hazard Categories for Contract Seating

BS 7176 is the British Standard that sets the fire performance an upholstered seat must reach in a non-domestic building. It does not introduce a new test. It takes the ignition tests in BS 5852 and BS EN 1021, groups buildings into four hazard categories, and states which tests the cover and filling must pass together for each one. This guide explains the four categories, where each applies, and what an interior designer, architect or contractor should ask for before signing off contract seating. For the ignition test itself, see our BS 5852 Crib 5 guide.

What BS 7176 Covers

The full title is BS 7176, Specification for resistance to ignition of upholstered furniture for non-domestic seating by testing composites. The current edition is BS 7176:2007+A1:2011. It applies to seating in offices, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, public buildings and other premises outside the home. Domestic furniture is covered instead by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

The word that matters is composite. A BS 7176 pass belongs to the combination of cover fabric, interliner if used, and foam or other filling that was tested together. A fabric on its own cannot be BS 7176 certified. A fabric can carry a BS 5852 Crib 5 certificate, and the finished seat built from that fabric and a matched foam can then be tested and labelled to BS 7176 at the right hazard level.

The Four Hazard Categories

The end uses above are the typical examples the standard gives. They are not a substitute for the fire risk assessment for the building, which decides the category for a particular room.

BS 7176 Medium Hazard and Crib 5

Most hospitality and commercial interiors fall into medium hazard, and the ignition test at that level is Crib 5. In practice a fabric with a BS 5852 Crib 5 certificate is the starting point for BS 7176 Medium Hazard seating. The difference is scope: a BS 7176 Medium Hazard certificate covers the full composite and names the end-use category, and the standard sets out the water-soak pre-treatment for treated covers. On a complex or sensitive project, specifying BS 7176 Medium Hazard gives a more complete and defensible specification than writing “Crib 5” alone.

The fire retardant treatment applied to a fabric to reach Crib 5 is the same treatment used for BS 7176 Medium Hazard. For how that treatment works and how cleaning affects it, see our how FR treatment works guide.

High Hazard and Crib 7

High hazard seating must resist ignition source 7, a larger wooden crib than Crib 5. Do not assume that a Crib 5 fabric will pass at Crib 7. Some Crib 5 fabrics reach a Crib 7 pass as part of a composite with a suitable fire retardant foam, but only an independent test of that composite confirms it. For very high hazard environments, engage a specialist fire safety consultant before the seating is specified.

What to Ask For on a Contract Project

From the fabric supplier: the BS 5852 Crib 5 certificate for the fabric, issued by a UKAS-accredited test house, and confirmation of whether the rating is inherent to the fibre or achieved by topical treatment.

From the furniture maker or upholsterer: the BS 7176 test report for the finished composite at the stated hazard category, naming the fabric and foam tested.

For the handover file: both documents, filed with the fabric schedule. For what belongs in that file and when, see our fabric specification guide and our Building Safety Act guide.

KOTHEA mohair velvet carries an inherent BS 5852 Crib 5 rating, so no topical treatment is needed before it goes to the upholsterer. See our mohair velvet upholstery page and our contract upholstery fabric page for ranges with their fire ratings. For hotel specification in full, see our hotel fabric specification guide. For the full specification library, see our fabric buying guide by purpose.

Quick answers

What is BS 7176?
BS 7176 is the British Standard for the fire performance of upholstered seating in non-domestic buildings. It groups premises into low, medium, high and very high hazard categories and sets the ignition tests that the cover and filling must pass together for each. Low hazard needs the cigarette and match tests; medium hazard adds Crib 5; high hazard adds Crib 7.

Is BS 7176 the same as Crib 5?
No. Crib 5 is an ignition test within BS 5852. BS 7176 is a specification that uses that test, together with the cigarette and match tests, to set a pass level for each hazard category. BS 7176 Medium Hazard includes Crib 5 and certifies the whole composite of fabric and filling for a named end use.

What BS 7176 category do hotels and restaurants need?
Hotel bedrooms, restaurants, bars, public buildings and places of public entertainment are given as medium hazard examples in BS 7176, which requires a Crib 5 pass on the composite. The building’s fire risk assessment confirms the category for each space. For trade use in medium hazard seating, KOTHEA’s mohair velvet carries an inherent BS 5852 Crib 5 rating with no treatment needed.

Can a fabric be BS 7176 certified on its own?
No. BS 7176 certifies a composite: the cover fabric and the filling tested together. A fabric can hold a BS 5852 Crib 5 certificate, and the finished seat made with that fabric and a matched foam is then tested to BS 7176 at the required hazard level. Ask the fabric supplier for the Crib 5 certificate and the furniture maker for the BS 7176 report.

To request cuttings of KOTHEA contract fabrics, visit KOTHEA.com/cuttings.