Burning behaviour of children's nightwear according to ISO 14878:2007

Textiles — Burning behaviour of children’s nightwear — Specification

This standard specifies design and performance requirements for children’s nightwear to reduce fire hazards. It doesn’t prescribe a single test method itself but refers to existing flammability tests (described below) to measure the burning behaviour of fabrics intended for children’s sleepwear.

Textiles — Fabrics for apparel — Detailed procedure to determine the burning behaviour of fabrics — Measurement of flame spread of vertically oriented specimens

Principle

Measures flame spread time of a vertically suspended textile specimen exposed to a small ignition source. Simulates accidental ignition, e.g., when clothing brushes past a flame.

Test Method

• A rectangular textile specimen (~160 mm × 50 mm) is suspended vertically.
• Flame is applied to the lower edge for 10 seconds.
• Time taken for the flame to reach a marked point 300 mm above the ignition point is recorded.
• Observations include: flaming debris, melting, hole formation, after-flame, after-glow.

Application in ISO 14878:2007

Used to determine whether children’s nightwear fabrics meet maximum allowable flame spread time. Ensures nightwear fabrics do not sustain rapid flame spread that could endanger children.

Textiles — Burning behaviour — Measurement of ease of ignition of vertically oriented specimens

Principle

Determines ease of ignition: whether and how quickly a textile ignites when exposed to a small flame for a defined duration.

Test Method

• Vertical specimen (minimum size ~150 mm × 50 mm) is mounted in a draft-protected chamber.
• A small defined flame is applied to the lower edge for a set ignition time (usually 5, 10, or 15 seconds).
• Records:
  • Whether the specimen ignites.
  • After-flame time (time the specimen continues to burn after flame removal).
  • After-glow time (time the specimen glows without flame).
  • Damage length (char or hole formed).

Application in ISO 14878:2007

Used to assess ignitability: nightwear should not ignite easily or sustain burning once the flame source is removed. Low ease of ignition reduces initial fire risk.

Textiles — Burning behaviour — Measurement of flame spread properties of vertically oriented specimens

Principle

Measures rate of flame spread along a textile surface, providing quantitative data on how fast fire can propagate once ignition has occurred.

Test Method

• Vertical specimen (minimum ~150 mm × 50 mm) is exposed to a flame at its lower edge for a defined ignition time (typically 10 seconds).
• Tracks the upward movement of the flame over marked intervals (e.g., every 50 mm).
• Measures:
  • Flame spread time between marks.
  • After-flame and after-glow times.
  • Physical damage length.

Application in ISO 14878:2007

Used to evaluate whether flame spread on children’s nightwear fabrics is slow enough to allow time for intervention, thereby minimizing injury risk in case of accidental ignition.