What is Crib 5 Fabric?
Crib 5 is a fire safety treatment for upholstery and furniture coverings. Contract furniture is legally required to comply with crib 5 fire regulations. To test a fabric to see if it is crib 5 compliant, a crib is composed of 5 wooden planks, glued together and a lint is attached to the bottom. After adding propane-diol the crib is placed on the test rig and ignited with a match. For a pass to be recorded, all flaming should cease within 10 minutes.
Many fabrics can be treated by spraying the back with a rubbery chemical, which will stop the fire spreading and help to burn itself out. The surface fabric will always burn because it is only the back of the fabric that is treated and acts as a firewall extinguishing the flames. Some fabric will only pass the cigarette and match test and not the Crib 5, Fabric like this needs to be used with a Crib 5 Interliner underneath.