The government has enacted strict restrictions requiring the use of fire-resistant upholstery textiles in non-domestic furniture in a clear attempt to improve public safety, particularly with regard to fire-related catastrophes. The Quality Control Order (QCO), which went into effect in October 2023, mandates that all upholstery components used in public areas adhere to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards, particularly IS 15768:2008.
In public spaces including offices, shopping centres, airports, restaurants, underground retail complexes, museums, hospitals, places of worship, and educational institutions, upholstered composites and textiles used in non-domestic furniture are subject to the QCO. All imports of full furniture or subassemblies with upholstered fabric intended for public use are likewise subject to this directive; however, an extension until March 31, 2025, has been granted at the industry’s request.
Additionally, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has been asked by the Ministry of Textiles to incorporate IS 15768:2008 into the furniture QCOs. A thorough framework encompassing all pertinent furniture standards will be made available by this integration.This swift move demonstrates the government’s dedication to improving public area fire safety and making sure all non-domestic furniture satisfies the strictest safety and quality requirements, protecting people and property in the process.
The government’s larger plan to guarantee the safety and quality of vital items includes the QCOs. For important goods like fire-retardant upholstery, compliance with these requirements is now required, even if BIS certification is optional for many products. This rule is a big step towards making public areas safer and making sure that the furniture used there satisfies the strictest safety requirements.