CA TB 133 Flammability Standard

CALIFORNIA TECHNICAL BULLETIN 133 FLAMMABILITY STANDARDS (CA TB 133) 
This commentary is written at the overwhelming request of our staff at HealthCare Source.  Even though CA TB 133 has been in regulatory effect since March 1, 1992, our staff receives more questions about this standard than any other regulatory matter.  Let’s see if we can answer some of those questions and lay to rest some misunderstandings. 

WHAT IS CA TB 133? 
CA TB 133 is one of two standards commonly used in the manufacture of commercial furniture.  The other one is CA TB 117. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO STANDARDS? 
CA TB 117 is the most common flammability standard for commercial furniture.  It is used by manufacturers nationwide.  CA TB 117 allows manufacturers to build furniture by selecting from an array of components that are pre-approved to be “CA TB 117” compliant.  Frames, foam and fabric are the typical components.  By complying with the CA TB 117 standards for all components, the manufacturer’s end product is predicted to burn slowly or not at all. 

But CA TB 133 is a standard that measures only the completed product.  A common misconception is that there are CA TB 133 approved fabrics.  There are no CA TB 133 components!  The CA TB 133 standard measures the compliance of the finished product in an actual burn test of that specific product (I won’t get into how the manufacturers achieve that testing standard in this article).  Not only does the CA TB 133 standard measure the “flame spread” but it also measure the gasses given off by the burning furniture, and in doing so, corrects a major flaw in the CA TB 117 standard. 

A flaw in the CA TB 117 standard?   When the manufacturer selects the components that go into the CA TB 117 finished product, the frame material, the foam and the fabric might not burn but CAN create a pervasive toxic smoke that will kill faster than the fire.  And so CA TB 133 measures the finished products to also protect from the off gassing of burning furniture. 

WHO DOES CA TB 133 APPLY TO? 
OK … here comes the list.  Prisons, HOSPITALS, HEALTHCARE FACILITIES, BOARD and CARE, CONVALESCENT HOSPITALS, licensed child care facilities, stadiums, auditoriums, public assembly areas of hotels and motels used by 10 or more persons. 

ARE THERE EXEMPTIONS TO CA TB 133? 
Yes there are!  Any fully sprinklered building serving the businesses listed above MAY be exempt, with the blessing of the local Fire Marshall.  Not all buildings are rated as the same risk in case of fire.  ONLY THE LOCAL FIRE MARSHALL CAN GRANT YOU AN EXEMPTION. 

BUT BEFORE ASKING FOR AN EXEMPTION… 
…You should know about the history of the Dupont Plaza fire in Puerto Rico.  On New Year’s Eve in 1986, three disgruntled employees set a fire in some new furniture which was scheduled to be installed.  The idea was to scare away hotel guests.  The stacked furniture reacted to the fire like “stacked pallets at a college pep rally”.  The fire burned higher and hotter than anyone imagined.  The result was 97 deaths and 140 injuries, and one of the largest liability suits of its time. 

The most interesting part of the litigation was that the CA TB 133 flammability standard was used as the “due diligent” standard of the day, even though CA TB 133 did not go into effect in California for five more years. 

PLEASE  take the time to contact your risk manager and determine whether or not pursuing a CA TB 133 exemption is “worth it”.