— Furniture Today,
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In advance of the July 1 effective date for the new U.S. open-flame mattress standard, the International Sleep Products Assn.’s Sleep Products Safety Council is introducing updated mattress hangtags to help educate consumers.

The hangtags carry product safety information and feature revised messages and a new design. To see the new tag, click here.

First developed by the SPSC two decades ago, the hangtags have helped mattress manufacturers inform consumers about product safety. Some 220 million have been sold in the United States and Canada since their introduction.

“We have worked closely with CPSC to establish this new (flammability) standard, and now that it’s passed, our work is far from over,” said Tom Taylor, acting chair of the SPSC. “The new mattresses will meet fire-safety standards, but that does NOT mean mattresses are fireproof — they will only burn more slowly and less intensely, allowing for more time to escape from a home.

“That’s a critical message to communicate, and our redesigned mattress hangtags provide one of the best and easiest ways to educate consumers about their new mattress’ flammability, as well as provide other important safety tips,” said Taylor.

The SPSC also has a Web site at http://www.safesleep.org/, which includes information about the open-flame standard.

The bright yellow hangtags, entitled “Don’t Go To Sleep Yet … Eight Things You Need to Know About Your Mattress,” highlight safety messages regarding smoking, matches, candles, space heaters, electrical cords, sleeping with babies, and the disposal of plastic wrapping and old mattresses.

Pricing for the basic hangtag has not changed, but the SPSC has lowered the price for the redesigned and resized Tyvek version that can be sewn onto the mattress.

Sale of the hangtags helps support the SPSC’s mission to provide consumer safety information, support scientific research, and promote activities aimed at reducing hazards associated with mattresses and other sleep products.

The new hangtags include a series of pictograms about fire safety that can be understood in any language. In addition, the hangtag encourages consumers who speak Spanish or French to visit the SPSC Web site for more information. An English/French version of the hangtag is available for products sold in Canada.

For information on ordering tags, contact Jane Oseth at joseth@sleepproducts.org or at (703)
683-8371, ext 1130.