There are many potential health concerns surrounding some flame retardants, and many design and construction professionals have assumed that they were a necessary evil, according to an article on the Contract website. But flame retardant use in building products is largely avoidable.

According to the article, the central question is: In the widespread use of flame retardants, has the industry simply traded one hazard for another?

There is no regulatory mandate to utilize chemical flame retardants, but there is a performance criteria for flame resistance that must be met. A Perkins+Will report recommended that designers don't specify products with added flame retardants and provided guidelines to help determine which flame retardants are more likely to be problematic. Facility managers are urged to be aware of the concerns around the de-specification of halogenated, brominated and organophosphorus flame retardants. 

The good news is that regulatory drivers are starting to change. California’s TB117 was recently revised, and along with a companion labeling law, it is now possible to specify upholstered furniture without added flame retardants and be assured that the product that shows up on site actually complies, the article said.

Read the article.