Indian Ministry Prepared a Draft Notification for Mandating Use of FR Textiles Standards

The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, has prepared a draft notification for mandating use of four Fire Retardant (FR) textiles standards under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986, and has invited public opinion on the same by October 11, 2013.

The draft has been prepared by the Ministry, while working with various departments/Ministries for mandatory use of certain standards for technical textile where safety and health of public is involved.

The four Indian standard (IS) numbers and their titles are: IS 15741:2007 is related to Textiles – Resistance to Ignition of Curtains and Drapes – Specification; IS 15742:2007 is on Textiles — Requirements for clothing made of limited flame spread materials and material assemblies affording protection against heat and flame — Specification; IS 15748:2007 is for Textiles – Protective Clothing for Industrial Workers Exposed to Heat (excluding firefighters’ and welders’ clothing); and IS 15768:2007 for Textiles – Resistance to Ignition of Upholstered Composites used for Non-domestic Furniture – Specification.

The Central Government after consulting the BIS has named the Order as ‘Fire Retardant Textile Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2013,’ which shall come into force in February 2014, according to the Ministry of Textiles.

The Order states that no person shall himself or by any person on his behalf, manufacture or store for sale, sell or distribute textile material, which does not conform to the Specified Standard and which do not bear the Standard Mark.

However, in some cases the Central Government may permit any person to manufacture or store for sale, or sell or distribute textile material without Standard Mark for a period of not exceeding one hundred and fifty days.

The textile material which does not conform to the Specified Standard shall be destroyed immediately within a month.

The draft notification states that all manufacturers of textile material shall make an application to the Bureau for obtaining licence for use of the Standard Mark within forty five days of the issue of the Order, if not already obtained.

“Samples of textile material bearing the Standard Mark and drawn by the Appropriate Authority, for ascertaining whether they are of the Specified Standard, shall be tested in the laboratory approved by the Bureau and in the manner as may be determined by the Bureau,” states the notification.