California bureau study finds fire-barrier rule’s costs exceed benefits under baseline assumptions

A cost‑benefit analysis presented to the Bureau Advisory Council on August 1 found the projected costs of a proposed fire‑barrier performance standard for upholstered furniture exceed the estimated benefits under the study’s baseline assumptions.

The analysis, presented by Nathan Fessler, a graduate student working with Professor Rossner, estimated annualized benefits to California households from reduced deaths, injuries and property losses and compared those to the anticipated increase in manufacturing costs and state enforcement testing. “From a benefit cost analysis perspective, just this perspective alone, we don't find any evidence for the adoption of the 5‑area performance standard,” Fessler told the council.

The study modeled two ignition scenarios where fire barriers could matter: (1) an upholstered item ignited first…