The statutory instrument to update the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which will come into force on 30th October this year, was laid in Parliament on 30th April – but, in accordance with the UK's obligations as a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), will not take effect for six more months.
The changes remove certain baby and young children’s products from scope of the regulations, remove the requirement for manufacturers to affix a display (or 'swing') label to new products (without impacting obligations relating to a permanent label), and extend the time frame for instituting legal proceedings from 6 to 12 months.
Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers must understand and adapt to these amended provisions to ensure continued compliance with the updated regulatory landscape.
The regulations' predecessor, the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, set flammability requirements for domestic upholstered furniture supplied anywhere in the UK. The updates to the 2025 version were informed by a public consultation held between August and October 2023, and were announced by the Government in January.
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