Fire Resistive Rating for Furniture, Scenery and Decorations 
New Furniture Purchase
All new furniture purchased for use in University Buildings shall comply with the following:School Occupancies
All new furniture purchased for occupancies classified as school or classroom buildings shall have and maintain a fire resistive rating as is set forth by the "Test Standards" section in this policy.


Child Day Care Centers
All Child Day Care Centers serving 12 or more children, 6 years of age or under, that provide care maintenance and supervision by other than their relative(s) or legal guardian(s), for less than 24 hours a day and are not protected throughout by an approved sprinkler system, shall provide and maintain furniture which meets the fire resistive test requirements set forth in California Technical Bulletin 133 (1991).


All Child Care Centers as described above which are protected throughout by an approved sprinkler system, shall provide and maintain furniture which meets the fire resistive test requirements set forth by California Technical Bulletin 116 (1980) and California Technical Bulletin 117 (1980).


Auditoriums and Stadiums
All indoor and outdoor auditoriums and stadiums containing fixed individual fixed seating for 50 or more persons and are used for entertainment, deliberation, sporting, musical, motion pictures, lecture halls, and theater, which are not protected throughout by an approved sprinkler system, shall provide and maintain furniture which meets the fire resistive test requirements set forth in California Technical Bulletin 133 (1991).


All auditoriums and stadiums which are protected throughout by an approved sprinkler system, shall provide and maintain furniture which meets a fire resistive test requirements set forth by California Technical Bulletin 116 (1980) and California Technical Bulletin 117 (1980).


Other Occupancies
All new furniture purchased for occupancies which are not mentioned in the above classifications shall have and maintain a fire resistive rating as is set forth by the "Test Standards" section in this policy.


Exemptions
All seating furniture, other than juvenile furniture and furniture used for and in facilities designed for the care or treatment of humans, which meet any of the following criteria are exempt from compliance.


1.Cushions and pads intended solely for outdoor use.


2.Any furniture which is smooth surfaced and contains no more than none half inch of filling material, if furniture does not have horizontal surface meeting vertical surface.


3.Furniture manufactured solely for recreational use or physical fitness purposes, such as weightlifting benches, gymnasium mats or pads, sidehorses and similar articles. 
Re Upholstered Furniture
All seating furniture used in a public occupancy may be reupholstered without having to meet the performance standard as described in the "New Furniture" section of this policy provided that replacement filling material is fire retardant and that all filling material is completely encased in material designed to slow the spread of fire, increase escape time, prevent rapid combustion, insulate internal materials, and restrict generated gases.


Scenery and Decorations
All scenery and decorative materials used as stage materials, paraphernalia, scenery, decoration, drapes, curtains or similar materials used for decorative effect or stage settings shall maintain a fire resistive rating as set forth by the "Test Standards" section of this policy and procedure. However, when scenery or decorations will not support combustion or carry a flame when subjected to a temperature of twelve hundred degrees Fahrenheit for a period of not less than ten minutes the scenery or decoration is exempt from the test standard described in this policy.


Candles or Open Flame Devices 
All candles or open flame devices used for illumination or decorative purposes shall be kept in suitable non combustible holders. These devices shall be placed in such a manner so that they will not ignite any combustible material or constitute a dangerous hazard or condition.


Wall Coverings
In all areas of public assemblies, businesses, churches, schools and         theaters outside of the stage area, not more than five percent of the wall area shall be covered by scenery and decorations. No one article of scenery or decoration shall cover more than three percent of said wall area. Before any scenery or decoration is used it must be treated with a flame retardant solution and continuously maintained in such a condition to pass         a flame retardant test as described in the "Test Standard" section of this policy. 
In all occupancies, no scenery or decorations shall be hung or applied as to conceal a means of an emergency exit or exitway, nor to reduce the width of an emergency exit or exitway. No scenery or decoration shall be placed on a wall in such a manner as to give the appearance of an emergency exit where one does not exist.


Test Standards Any material used as scenery and decorations which will either support combustion or carry a flame when subjected to a temperature of twelve hundred degrees Fahrenheit for a period of not less than ten minutes shall conform to the large and small scale tests in the National Fire Protection Association Standard 701 "Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Resistant Textiles and Films"1973 edition. The material must also be certified by a recognized testing agency, such as Underwriter's Laboratories.


Labeling Requirements
The manufacturer shall attach the required labeling, as set forth by the applicable standards, to all furniture, scenery and decorations. The label manufacturer, the fire resistive rating and the label shall remain on all furniture, scenery and shall identify the product applicable standards. The decorations and shall not be remove for any reason.


Furniture Granted Special Exemption
The manufacturer of new furniture or re upholstered furniture in auditorium and stadium occupancies may request a special exemption from the provisions above when the testing of the seating furniture is prohibitive due to the uniqueness of the seating furniture and its particular function. The procedure for requesting a special exemption shall be:


a)The manufacturer must submit documentation to the Office of the State of Illinois Fire Marshall proving all of the following:


1.That the particular seating furniture is of a unique construction and design that is required for a particular function;


2.That no other article of seating furniture will provide the same function;


3.That the manufacturer of the furniture refuses to submit the item to testing;


4.That no other manufacturer produces the item, or that all manufacturers have similarly refused; and,


5.That the item is not customarily manufactured for and used in public occupancies or is a specialized design manufactured in only limited quantities.


b)The material covering the padding and filling material must be resistant to the spread of flame.


c)The State of Illinois Fire Marshall's Office shall grant a special exemption within 30 days when the requirements above have been met. The State of Illinois Fire Marshall's Office will issue an exemption number and date, which must be included on the label.


d)The label shall be permanently attached by the manufacturer giving the exemption number and date, as well as the Manufacturers name and address. The University must also maintain records of the furniture and the exemption
Glossary
California Technical Bulletin 116 (1980): A standard adopted by the State of Illinois Fire Marshall and developed by the State of California, Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation, the "Requirements, Test Procedures and Apparatus for Testing the Flame Retardance of Upholstered Furniture".


California Technical Bulletin 117 (1980): A standard adopted by the State of Illinois Fire Marshall and developed by the State of California, Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation the "Requirements, Test Procedures and Apparatus for Testing the Flame Retardance of Resilient Filling Materials Used in of Upholstered Furniture".


California Technical Bulletin 133 (1991): A standard adopted by the State of Illinois Fire Marshall and developed by the State of California, Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation the "Flammability Test Procedures for Seating Furniture for Use in Public Occupancies".


Decorations: Any material used for decoration such as stage materials, curtains, drapes, or similar materials or items used for decorative purposes.


Fire Resistive Rating: A minimum rating established by the National Fire Protection Association is which material must meet to prevent and retard combustion.


National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): An organization promoting fire science and improving the methods of fire protection and prevention, electrical safety, and other related safety issues. Many of the performance criteria promulgated by the NFPA may be adopted by federal or local agencies.


Open Flame Devices: Any device which supports a flame such as personal lighters.


Questionable Conditions: A concern which exists which the item or items being reviewed do not appear to meet the required criteria set by the applicable standard.


Reupholstered: To replace filling materials or materials encasing or covering filling materials on an article of seating furniture.


Scenery: Any painted scenes, hangings or accessories used on a theater stage.