Carpenter conforms to California bedding bill

Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 8/26/2002 12:00:00 AM

RICHMOND, VA —

Keeping California's new fire retardant legislation Bill 603 in mind, Carpenter Co. is introducing a brand new polyester fill for bed pillows and mattress pads.

Named Firestop, the new fill will be unveiled in October during the New York Home Textiles Market.

Bill 603 was introduced in California in July 2001. It proposes that all bedding products manufactured for sale in California, if they are deemed to contribute to mattress fire, must be fire retardant.

"With the introduction of our Firestop fiber fill we've taken into account the pending proposed changes to the Cal 117 regulation," said Dan Schecter, vp of sales and marketing for Carpenter's Consumer Products Division. "This new technology offers the consumer fire retardant protection with no backcoatings of FR chemical treatment."

Schecter described Firestop as white in color with a "soft and luxurious hand."

The prime characteristic of the new fill is that it is designed to "char in place" with minimal shrinkage and melting when subjected to an open flame, said Jeff Martin, product development manager.