Improving The Fire Safety Of Candles And Assorted Accessories
Candles still stay relevant and are widely used for many purposes around the world, including religious and festive events.
Today, candles play a more decorative and aromatic role rather than an illumination tool. You can find these candles in many elegant, tall, short, and creative designs. While we still appreciate the craftsmanship and refreshing scents, we have to realize that candles and assorted accessories pose a fire hazard.
Candles And Assorted Accessories Safety Risk
The candle label, complementary accessories, and other trimmings are often made from flammable material that can add to the potential fire hazard of the candle. So, the candle flame has to be carefully monitored and candle fire safety needs to be taken seriously.
If you’re curious about how industry standards are helping improve the fire safety of candles and assorted accessories, you’ve come to the right place. The burning behaviour and performance of the candle need to be taken into account and minimise the risk to consumers.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Specifications For Safety
The European Candle Association (ECA) and National Candle Association (NCA) have played a crucial role in developing and improving industry standards for candle fire safety and mitigating risk to consumers. Here are some specifications:
BS EN 15493: 2019 — Specification for fire safety:
This standard refers to the test methods for the fire safety of candle accessories. It checks the functional design of the candle and whether it minimises the risk of ignition and combustion of components of candle accessories. It’s done to foresee the misuse and failure of the candle in future use.
The test evaluates and ensures that the accessory should have a burn time of less than or an average of 30 seconds for three tests per component, and the burn time for any one test shall not exceed 60 seconds. In the test, it’s ensured that the flames don’t spread to the entirety of the other components.
The test also evaluates whether tealights, taper candle holders, and candle burners can catch fire. The candle flame and its burning ability are also put to the test so that it doesn’t exceed a certain height and flammable capability. This is done to ensure the personal safety of candle users and to reduce the risk of fire-related injuries and deaths among consumers.
BS EN 15426: 2018 — Specification For Sooting Behaviour
This test ensures that candles and accessories are stable and can maintain the surface temperature while the candle flame is burning. So, if the container is made of metal, testing would check for corrosion. The testing would include annealing and thermal shock if the items are made of glass. It’ll depend on the retailer or manufacturer’s requirements.
There are different tests conducted on tea light holders, aromatherapy burners, and candle wicks like flare-up tests, light performance, and burning capability. Even candlewicks are held to strict standards under EN15426, like the soot test method. If a candle emits high levels of soot, it indicates that the candle is poorly made and has one or more inexpensive components in its formulation.
BS EN 15494: 2019 — Candles — Product Safety Labels
Product safety legislation is not something new and has required manufacturers and distributors to place safe products on the market, provide information on the risks of product usage, and provide instructions on the safe usage of the product.
Candles may not be the biggest cause of house fires; however, their accidental misuse does cause many accidental fires in the UK annually. Therefore, a good level of consumer knowledge is needed and ensure that safety warnings and pictograms on the product labels do an adequate job of providing that knowledge.
So, the standard ensures that consumers have the correct safety information regarding the candle and its use in a particular environment. The manufacturers have to ensure that candles must have a “General Warning Sign” with mandatory warning signs regarding the candle’s shape and size.
Get Reliable And Accurate Candle Safety Testing Services In The UK
Candle safety is a requirement for improving consumer safety and mitigating accidental injuries and fire outbreaks. If you’re looking for reliable candle safety testing services, check out IFS Laboratories in the UK.
They also offer European Curtains testing services, automotive testing services, CBD cream testing services, and much more. You can get in touch with them or visit their website for more information.
