BRITISHSTANDARDBS5438:1989IncorporatingAmendmentNos.1and2MethodsoftestforFlammabilityoftextilefabricswhensubjectedtoasmallignitingflameappliedtothefaceorbottomedgeofverticallyorientedspecimensUDC677.014.27:614.841.411:536.468:543.874BS5438:1989ThisBritishStandard,havingbeenpreparedunderthedirectionoftheTextileandClothingStandardsPolicyCommittee,waspublishedundertheauthorityoftheBoardofBSIandcomesintoeffecton29September1989©BSI01-2000FirstpublishedNovember1976ThefollowingBSIreferencesrelatetotheworkonthisstandard:CommitteereferenceTCM/30Draftforcomment87/45459DCISBN0580173410CommitteesresponsibleforthisBritishStandardThepreparationofthisBritishStandardwasentrustedbytheTextilesandClothingStandardsPolicyCommittee(TCM/-)toTechnicalCommitteeTCM/30,uponwhichthefollowingbodieswererepresented:AssociationofHeavyTextileProofersofGreatBritainBoltonInstituteofHigherEducationBritishBurnAssociationBritishCarpetManufacturers’AssociationLtd.BritishClothingIndustryAssociationBritishPlasticsFederationBritishSteelCorporationBritishTextileEmployers’AssociationChemicalIndustriesAssociationChiefandAssistantChiefFireOfficers’AssociationCityofBradfordConditioningHouseConsumerPolicyCommitteeofBSIDepartmentoftheEnvironment(BuildingResearchEstablishment)DepartmentoftheEnvironment(TheCrownSuppliers)DepartmentofTradeandIndustry(ConsumerSafetyUnit,CADivision)DesignCouncilHomeandContractFurnishingTextilesAssociationHomeOfficeInternationalWoolSecretariatLambegIndustrialResearchAssociationLondonScientificServicesMan-madeFibresProducers’CommitteeMinistryofDefenceSoapandDetergentIndustryAssociationSocietyofMotorManufacturersandTradersLtd.TextileInstituteTextileResearchCouncilWarringtonFireResearchCentreAmendmentsissuedsincepublicationAmd.No.DateofissueComments6509June19908308December1994IndicatedbyasidelineinthemarginBS5438:1989©BSI01-2000iContentsPageCommitteesresponsibleInsidefrontcoverForewordiiSection1.General1Scope12Definitions13Conditioningandtestingatmospheresandlocation14Healthandsafetyofoperators25Apparatus26Settinguptheapparatus6Section2.Methodsoftest7Textdeleted88Textdeleted89Test2A.Limitedflamespread:faceignition810Test2B.Limitedflamespread:bottomedgeignition811Textdeleted912Textdeleted9AppendixAMeasurementofdamagedlength10AppendixBSuggestedtestreportformats11AppendixCAdviceonthechoiceoftestmethodandacceptancecriteria12Figure1—Testspecimenholderandburnerignitionlocation3Figure2—Gasburner4Figure3—Testspecimenholdersandlocationofspecimens5Figure4—Flamepositionandadjustment7Table1—Comparisonofmarkerthreadheightsandmarkerthreadseverancetimes15PublicationsreferredtoInsidebackcoverBS5438:1989ii©BSI01-2000ForewordThisBritishStandardhasbeenpreparedunderthedirectionoftheTextilesandClothingStandardsPolicyCommittee.ItsupersedesBS5438:1976,whichwillbewithdrawnwhenlegislationwhichrelatestoBS5438:1976hasbeenamended.BS5438wasintroducedin1976anddescribedthreetestmethodsforobservingandmeasuringaspectsoftheflammabilityoftextilefabricswhensubjectedtoasmallignitingflameappliedtothefaceofaverticallyorientedspecimen.ThesetestmethodsweresubsequentlyspecifiedinBritishStandardperformancespecificationsforsleepwear,blankets,curtainsanddrapes,industrialprotectiveclothing,tentageetc.Insomeinstancesmodificationstotheoriginaltestprocedureshavebeenintroducedintheseperformancespecifications,notablyreducedpinning.Thisreducedpinninghasbeenfoundtogivemorerealistic,althoughlessreproducibleresults.In1994BS5438wasamendedasaresultofthepublicationofBSEN26940andBSEN26941,whichtogetherpartiallysupersededit.Tests1Aand1Bweredeleted(supersededbythetestsinclause8ofBSEN26940)asweretests3Aand3B(supersededbythetestsinclause8ofBSEN26941).Itshouldbenotedthattheprocedureinclause9(test2a),althoughretainedforthetimebeing,hasbeenadoptedinEN532.InduecourseEN26940,EN26941andEN532willbereplacedbyanewsetofInternational/EuropeanStandardsthatwillcorrespondtothesixtestmethodsinBS5438:1989,whichwillthenbewithdrawn.AdviceonthechoiceoftestmethodandacceptancecriteriaisgiveninAppendixC.AttentionisalsodrawntoPD2777:1994whichprovidesadditionalinformationonthedevelopmentofBS5438andrelatedstandards.ABritishStandarddoesnotpurporttoincludeallthenecessaryprovisionsofacontract.UsersofBritishStandardsareresponsiblefortheircorrectapplication.CompliancewithaBritishStandarddoesnotofitselfconferimmunityfromlegalobligations.SummaryofpagesThisdocumentcomprisesafrontcover,aninsidefrontcover,pagesiandii,pages1to16,aninsidebackcoverandabackcover.Thisstandardhasbeenupdated(seecopyrightdate)andmayhavehadamendmentsincorporated.Thiswillbeindicatedintheamendmenttableontheinsidefrontcover.BS5438:1989©BSI01-20001Section1.General1ScopeThisBritishStandarddescribesmethodsoftestforflammabilityoftextilefabricsbyobservingandmeasuringthelimitedflamespreadandofverticallyorientedtestspecimenswhensubjectedtoasmallignitingflameappliedtothefaceorbottomedge.Testspecimenscanbeofasinglefabricoranycombinationofmaterialsrepresentativeoftheproductinuse,e.g.coated,multi-layeredfabrics.NOTE1Whereverpractical,trimmingsshouldbetestedaspartoft