Precision Custom Coatings has developed Precision Flame Protection (PFP), a nonwoven flame retardant  product that meets the most stringent mattress flammability  standards in the U.S. Precision Flame Protection has been  tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the preeminent independent and  trusted, not-for-profit source for product safety and compliance testing and  was found to have met the specifications established in Technical Bulletin  (TB) 603, a fire-safety standard of the California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (BHFTI), the most stringent standard for  mattress flammability in the country.  Precision Flame Protection is also already compliant with federal regulations set in advance of The  Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) new national open flame  standard for mattress flammability and fire-resistant upholstered furniture,  set to take effect in 2007.  These standards require that all new  mattresses provide protection against an open flame that could otherwise cause the product to ignite and burn intensely.

Precision Flame Protection fabric can be wrapped around the foam core of the mattress and can rest behind the outer layer of fabric, effectively cutting off the fire from the main fuel source—the polyurethane foam. Tests have shown that with the use of Precision Flame Protection, the material allows for charring,  but significantly resists igniting, and results in much less heat and smoke  release for a period of over 30 minutes, providing ample time for fire  victims to become alert to the fire and escape to safety.

According  to the CPSC, from 1995 through 1999, mattresses and bedding were the first items to ignite in approximately 19,400 residential fires each year,  resulting in an estimated 440 deaths, 2,230 injuries, and nearly $274 million  in property loss annually.