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Bureau lab reports most furniture samples passed flammability tests, finds label errors common
Summary
The bureau’s laboratory reported a high pass rate for furniture and bedding flammability tests but said label reviews showed mostly minor or moderate violations; the lab is resuming testing after pandemic interruption and will expand online product purchases to sample out‑of‑state and overseas manufacturers.
Rosemarie Picota, identified in the meeting materials as the laboratory supervisor for the bureau, reported to the advisory council on Aug. 14 that lab testing volumes dropped during the COVID‑19 shutdown but that testing of furniture and bedding has resumed.
Picota said the lab completed 58 furniture samples during the reporting period, with 56 passing and two failing (a 97% pass rate). For mattress tests, the lab completed 10 samples with nine passing and one failing (90% pass). Thermal insulation samples had not been received for testing during the period covered but ten reports were completed and were passing at a 70% rate pending review.
Picota told the council that label reviews show a different pattern: of labels reviewed under the cited standard (TB 117‑2013 for furniture/mattresses), roughly 13% had passing labels, 41% had minor violations, 43% had moderate violations, and 3% failed labeling standards. When a product label indicates the presence of flame retardant chemicals, the lab forwards samples to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for chemical analysis.
During the period covered, Picota said DTSC analyzed several covered products; the lab reported nine passing DTSC analyses (no flame retardant chemicals above 1,000 parts per million) and one failure. The laboratory has completed required remote accreditation assessments for furniture and bedding and expects the on‑site or remote assessment for insulation rules by year end.
Council members asked for clarification about what constitutes a minor versus a moderate labeling violation. Picota said minor violations are largely punctuation or grammatical errors on labels; moderate violations involve material misstatements such as incorrect percentages or missing component materials. A public commenter asked how the bureau will target online products sold into California; bureau staff said the lab and enforcement units will use online product images and descriptions to identify items sold into California and will purchase items directly for testing when appropriate.
The bureau said it is procuring a credit card for the lab to make online purchases so it can acquire samples from manufacturers and retailers outside California. No new enforcement action was announced in the lab presentation; results of failing tests are handled through the bureau’s compliance and enforcement processes.
