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Prisoner Bedding - Fire Retardency ‘crib’ ratings for furniture/upholstery etc. in Prisons. (Annex C to PSO 3803)
This instruction applies to : / Reference :
Prisons / PSI 22/2011
Issue Date / Effective Date
Implementation Date / Expiry Date
24 March 2011 / 28 March 2011 / 30 March 2012
Issued on the authority of / NOMS Agency Board
For action by / Prison Governors and Directors of Private Prisons, Safety Officers
For information / All staff
Contact / Les James
MOJ Estate Directorate
Desk 202 3rd floor Fry (SW)
2 Marsham street
London SW1P 4DF
Tel: 020 7035 3002
Email:
Associated documents / PSO 3803
Replaces the following documents which are hereby cancelled :-
None
Audit/monitoring :
Governors and Safety Officers must ensure that these Standards are fully adhered to.
Introduces amendments to the following documents : -
The Annex C attachment in this PSI must be added to PSO 3803.
Any reference to Governors in this document will also include Directors of Private Prisons

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Annex C to PSO 3803

Prisoner Bedding

Fire Retardency ‘crib’ ratings for furniture/upholstery etc. in Prisons.

1.Prisons in general and in particular ‘cellular accommodation’ areas are very vulnerable to the effects of fire due to the very nature of those committed to their care; with this in mind the Prison Service Fire Safety Manual states:

"The type of bedding used has been controlled. The Prison Service only issue bedding, which conforms to laid down standards. All non-issue items must also conform to the same standard. Duvets for example, must be to a standard at least equal to that which is required in hospitals or similar institutions. The flammability standard necessary is Ignition Source 0 and 7 in accordance with British Standard 7175 1989 Section 2.3.3. A Source 5 (a lower fire resistant standard) may be acceptable in certain lower risk areas. Contact the Fire Safety Section for advice."

2.The British StandardsBS 7177:2008 (mattress's) BS 7176:2007 (upholstered furniture)however set out a basic guide for the selection of ignition sources relevant to site specific risks - hospitals are classed as Medium Hazard, Hotels & Old Peoples Homes as High Hazard, and prisons have been set as Very High Hazard and the advice given is that prisons should be taken as places of Very high hazard.

3.With this in mind, prisons should be seeking to supply mattress and furniture products that conform to ignition source 7+ as displayed on the labels etc. Further to this, advice from CPIG (Crown Premises Inspection Group) sets the standard that they expect to see used in prisons and the table below gives the ratings necessary for each article:

Upholstered furnitureBS 7176: 2007 - ignition source 7+

Mattress BS 7177: 2008- ignition source 7+

Curtains BS 5867-2: 2008 - TypeC performance

Floor coveringsBS5287:1988 - medium radius 35-75mm forareas where there is no expectation of prisonersand >35mm for areas where prisoners frequent.

Pillow BS 7175 1989- source 0 crib6/7

Mattress CoverBS 7175 1989- source 0 crib6/7

Sheet BS 7175 1989 - source 0 crib6/7

Duvet Cover BS 7175 1989 - source 0 crib6/7

Pillow Cover BS 7175 1989 - source 0 crib6/7

Blankets BS 7175 1989 - source 0 crib6/7

Duvets - DormsBS 7175 1989 - source 0 crib6/7

- Cells BS 7175 1989 - source 0 crib6/7

4.The level of risk posed by bedding is determined by the fire risk assessment and subsequent advice given by Fire Safety Advisors.

5.The law allows the Prison Service to maintain standards or improve upon them but not to lower them. The lowering of such standards would place individual Governing Governors at additional unnecessary risk. If Governing Governors are provided with all the necessary facts they can make a properly informed decision. As the Responsible Person under the RRO, they have to decide to accept the risk or not.

6.To apply the standards retrospectively would create many problems within establishments, therefore, the advice given to Governing Governors, Fire Safety Sponsors and Fire Safety Advisors is:

a) have an amnesty over a period of time to allow prisoners to obtain bedding to the required standards, after which, all bedding must meet the required standard. That which does not will then be removed and replaced with service issue bedding.

b) set a date from which bedding that does not meet the standards set by the service will not be allowed to be purchased, or allowed through reception and so manage the problem out over time.

7.PSO1250 states that items on a Facilities List are included at the Governor’s discretion. Each Governor is therefore able to make local decisions as to what types of duvet are allowed in possession at each establishment:

8.Bedding that does meet the required standard of fire retardency can be obtained via the procurement contracts from L. Whittaker and Sons or the Care Shop. DHL can now supply the same standard products via the prison shop system.

(signed)

Steve Wagstaffe

Director of Public Prisons

PSI 22/2011UNCLASSIFIEDIssue date 24/03/2011