TCCP FREE - Safer Baby Mattresses

Posted by Roger Abrahams on

 Safer Mattress Baby Crib Mattress TCCP FREE

What is TCCP?

It is law in the UK that every baby mattress has to be flame retardant. 
For decades the chemical TCPP (tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate) has been used as a flame retardant.

We in the industry have been trying to remove flame retardant chemicals from baby mattresses whilst still complying with the law on flammability

In 1988 The UK Government (under some pressure from the fire dept, press and TV) decided to prevent the number of house fire started by cigarettes by making Domestic Upholstered Furniture meet specified ignition requirements. I.E. if you fell asleep smoking the settee would not go up in flames. This law also encompassed baby mattresses.

In the early 1990's a research carried out by scientist Barry Richardson and New Zealand-based chemist Jim Sprott put forward a theory that because the  foam in the cot mattresses now contained fire retardant chemicals they gave off a  toxic gas which caused cot deaths. This  theory was  taken up and highlighted by the ITV's The Cook Report in 1994.  This Program caused absolute panic with new parents     and  Roger Cook advising parents to wrap their mattresses in clear polythene or but a mattress free of flame retardants that did not exist in the UK.
To combat this and reassure parents The Government  spent  £1/2 million on a  Three year project to disprove the toxic gas theory and said their was no evidence to prove that fire retardants in PVC cot mattresses caused cot deaths. 

 Different Fire retardant chemicals were then used in  foam production and also a  list of advice points for parents:- Back to sleep, feet to foot, new baby new mattress, no smoking and good ventilation in the nursery,  ensure your baby was not over heating,  tog rating for quilts and no bumpers, if you baby was unwell seek medical advice urgently.

The use of adding flame retardant chemicals to foam was only something taken up in the UK. The rest of Europe we not interested in this exercise and positively condemned it. Interesting as we are all part of the EU and supposed to have the same standards.

Also many in the nursery industry including myself were vehemently against it.    Our position was why add toxic chemicals to a baby mattress :-  Are we saying that only UK babies smoke in their cots? or that  only UK parents would drop a lighted cigarette in a cot with their baby sleeping in it. God forbid if the house caught fire and the baby was in the cot.  It would  not survive the smoke inhalation  from other  burning items long before the baby mattress caught fire.
We argued against fire retardant chemicals in cot mattresses for 20 years but it was always turned down.

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TCCP tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate)has been accused of causing health problem in children and adults  because over time it escapes from the foam and has been detected in household air and dust. Laboratory tests indicate that TCCP may have an adverse effect on the nervous system and thyroid.

There is now a safer foam available that is TCCP Free. Not only is it safer but it comes in 4 qualities and we make the Next To Me out of the best quality TCCP Free foam. The new foam passes the British flammability standards.   

 The highest grade TCCP foam has a  gorgeous feel and offers the ultimate in support and comfort and instant recovery when depressed.  there is a significant reduction in the strong odour  normally associated with  foam. We have been dealing with hundreds of different grades of foam for over 30 years. This is the best foam for a baby mattress we have seen to date.
 Look at the photo with the weights on. We tested this with 3 x 5 kilo weights  and left them  on for 24 hours.  When we removed the weights they foam recovered instantly.  This foam is very supportive and welcoming and so durable. Try that with 90% of the foams in the market place you will  get dipping or denting and or the foam will not be as comfortable, it will also not be TCCP free  

 Now available in the Next to Me crib mattresses too

https://www.cotmattresscompany.com/collections/crib-mattresses/products/safer-next-to-me-mattress

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