🧵 Ignitability of upholstery material combinations by a small gas flame equivalent to a match flame — assembly on the same rig as in Part 1 (frames 450 × 300 and 450 × 150 mm at right angles), criteria of progressive smouldering and flaming ignition: escalating combustion, consumption, flame reaching the lower margin, side or through the full thickness, flaming for more than 120 s after removal of the burner, PN-EN 1021-2

Materials and NDT PN-EN 1021-2

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card of PN-EN 1021-2:2014-12 (English version; the field on the card breaks off in the list of annexes; our translation of the Polish card text): “This European Standard specifies a test method for assessing the ignitability of material combinations, such as covers and fillings used in upholstered seating, when subjected to a small flame as the ignition source. The test measures only the ignitability of the combination of materials used in upholstered seating and not that of a particular finished item of furniture incorporating these materials. It gives an indication of ignitability but does not guarantee the behaviour of the finished item. This standard contains four Annexes: Annex A (informative) Guidance for designers and specifiers, Annex B (informative) Model test report form, Annex C (informative) Cleaning of the test apparatus, Annex D (informa…”. We DO NOT HAVE the text of the 2014 edition: the sample SIST EN 1021-2:2014 contains the draft prEN 1021-2:2012 (CEN enquiry), read from the cover to Figure 1 (page 8); we do not have the rest — Figure 2, subclauses 6.2 onwards (enclosure, burner and gas, flame parameters), Clauses 7–10 and the annexes. We therefore give the content from the draft; it may have been changed in the published edition.

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF prEN 1021-2:2012 (foreword, introduction, Clauses 1–6.1, Figure 1). The draft was prepared by CEN/TC 207 “Furniture” (secretariat UNI); it was to replace EN 1021-2:2006. Main changes according to the foreword of the draft: alignment with EN 1021-1 and addition of a tolerance on the gas flame temperature. Introduction: the standard belongs to a series on the ignitability of upholstered furniture; the ignition source is a gas flame equivalent to a match flame. Scope (Clause 1): a method for assessing the ignitability of material combinations, such as covers and fillings of upholstered seating, with a small flame as the ignition source; only the ignitability of the material combination is measured, not of the finished furniture; the test gives an indication but not a guarantee of the behaviour of the finished furniture; the standard has four annexes: A — guidance for designers (informative), B — model report (informative), C — cleaning of the rig (informative), D — water soak (normative). Definitions (Clause 2): progressive smouldering, flaming, cover, interliner (a thin layer between the cover and the filling; thicker than nominally 2 mm it is part of the filling for the test; note: the term “interliner” is no longer used) and filling. Ignition criteria (Clause 3): progressive smouldering — the same five cases as in Part 1 (escalating combustion requiring extinguishing, consumption during the test, smouldering to the edges or through the full thickness, smouldering one hour after application of the source, evidence at the final examination 9.3); flaming ignition — any of the cases: a) escalating combustion at which continuing the test is unsafe and extinguishing is required; b) an assembly burning until substantially consumed during the test; c) the flame front reaches the lower margin, side or passes through the full thickness during the test; d) flaming lasting more than 120 s after removal of the burner tube. Principle (Clause 4): an assembly of upholstery materials is subjected to a gas flame; the assembly reproduces in stylized form the seat–back (or seat–arm) junction; ignitability is determined with a gas flame equivalent to a burning match; the test measures the ignitability of the whole combination as built on the rig; the results must not be applied to an individual component; note: materials from used furniture can give different results. Safety (Clause 5): the method involves a considerable hazard; a non-combustible fume cupboard or an enclosure protecting against smoke; water spray, extinguishers, fire blanket, bucket of water; sometimes immersion in water. Test rig (6.1): as in Part 1 — two frames of steel flat bar 25 mm × 3 mm hinged and locked at right angles, steel meshes (approx. 15–150 mm² opening) (6 ± 1) mm below the upper edge, face plates 450 mm × 65 mm × 3 mm, frames internally (450 ± 2) mm × (300 ± 2) mm and (450 ± 2) mm × (150 ± 2) mm, hinge rod 10 mm, axis (22,5 ± 0,5) mm behind the frames. Figure 1: cover with a 20 mm overlap wrapped under the frame and fastened with clips; this is where the extract we read ends.

STATUS (cards as of 02.10.2026). The card of PN-EN 1021-2:2014-12 (English version) has no “Withdrawn” header — the standard is CURRENT: published 15-12-2014, 25 pages, price group M, Consumer Products Sector, KT 100 Wood Products and Wood-Based Materials, ICS 13.220.40 and 97.140, “Introduces: EN 1021-2:2014 [IDT]”, “Replaces: PN-EN 1021-2:2007 – Polish version”. PN-EN 1021-2:2007 (Polish version, introduced EN 1021-2:2006) — withdrawn 15-12-2014 and replaced by the 2014-12 edition. The PKN search for “PN-EN 1021-2” (02.10.2026) also shows PN-EN 1021-2:2006 (English and German) and PN-EN 1021-2:1999 (Polish). There is no Polish version of the 2014 edition.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read 02.10.2026). The number 1021-2 appears in 11 records at 8 laboratories — the same as for Part 1: AB 053 (4), AB 023, AB 029, AB 225, AB 304, AB 1280, AB 1501, AB 1897 (1 each); at AB 023, AB 029, AB 304 and AB 1501 both parts stand in the same record. In the current scopes on the PCA website (read 02.10.2026) the number appears at all 8: with the year “2014-12” at AB 029, AB 053 and AB 225, without a year at AB 023, AB 304, AB 1280 and AB 1501, at AB 1897 as “EN 1021-2:2014” and still “EN 1021-2:2006”. No row is set in bold italics. The “Laboratories” tab under “PN-EN 1021-2” shows 5 laboratories and 8 positions (AB 029, AB 053, AB 225, AB 304, AB 1280), under “EN 1021-2” — AB 1897 — checked with the tab queries on the labcoda.pl production server on 02.10.2026. AB 023 (“PN-EN 1021-1 PN-EN 1021-2” in one field — the Part 2 number is not at the beginning) and AB 1501 (“BS 5852 PN-EN 1021-1 PN-EN 1021-2 Kodeks FTP…” in one field) are not visible.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (positions in PCA). The same positions as for Part 1: cover materials and fillings of upholstered seating, armchairs, seats, upholstered furniture — “ignitability”, “ignition source: match flame equivalent”, occurrence of flames on the tested assembly, spread of combustion, destruction of the assembly, smouldering to the specimen limits; at AB 304 and AB 1501 next to BS 5852, at AB 1501 the FTP Code Part 8 (IMO).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. In the flaming criterion: what counts is flaming for more than 120 s AFTER REMOVAL of the burner and the flame reaching the lower margin, side or through the thickness — a short flame going out by itself before 120 s is not ignition according to criterion d), but the assembly still has to be observed for progressive smouldering. In the conclusion: the result applies to the material combination on the rig, not to the furniture or a single component. In the citation: scopes with “EN 1021-2:2006” (AB 1897) refer to the withdrawn edition, which had no tolerance on the flame temperature. In the text: the criteria and the description of the rig come from the draft prEN 1021-2:2012.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have the published 2014 text or the subclauses on the burner, gas, flow, flame height and temperature, application time, conditioning, test procedure and test report, or Annex D — we therefore give no parameter of the ignition source.

Method principle

From the materials under test an assembly is built on a steel rig of two frames at right angles (seat–back junction) and a small gas flame equivalent to a match flame is applied in the junction; after removal of the burner it is observed whether flaming ignition (escalating combustion, consumption, flame to the edges or through the thickness, flaming over 120 s) or progressive smouldering occurs.

Applications

• Cover materials and fillings of upholstered seating, armchairs, chairs, seats — ignitability by a small flame (8 laboratories)
• Tests of upholstered furniture together with Part 1 (smouldering cigarette), BS 5852 and the FTP Code Part 8 (IMO)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 1021-2:2014-12 (wersja angielska; EN 1021-2:2014 IDT)

Title (PL)

Meble — Ocena zapalności mebli tapicerowanych — Część 2: Źródło zapłonu: równoważnik płomienia zapałki

Title (EN)

Furniture — Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture — Part 2: Ignition source match flame equivalent

Step-by-step procedure

1. Materials

   Cover, interliner if any (≤ 2 mm) and filling; conditioning — NOT GIVEN. PN-EN 1021-2:2014-12 current (cards as of 02.10.2026).

2. Building the assembly

   On the rig of frames at right angles, cover with a 20 mm overlap wrapped and fastened with clips (Figure 1).

3. Application of the flame

   Small gas flame equivalent to a match in the seat–back junction; application time and flame parameters — NOT GIVEN.

4. Observation

   Criteria of flaming ignition (a–d, including flaming > 120 s after removal of the burner) and progressive smouldering (a–e); extinguishing with escalating combustion.

5. Final examination and result

   Examination for evidence of smouldering; the result applies to the material combination; test report — NOT GIVEN.

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• The standard warns that the method involves a considerable hazard: non-combustible fume cupboard or enclosure, water spray, extinguishers, fire blanket, bucket of water, sometimes immersion of the assembly; gas burner — tightness of the installation (Clause 5)
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the result applies to the material combination on the rig, not to the furniture; the criteria are given from the draft prEN 1021-2:2012 — they may have been changed in the published edition

Frequently asked questions