UFAC Introducing Updated Hangtag

Furniture World Magazine

The Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC), a voluntary industry association organized to conduct research into more cigarette-resistant upholstered furniture, is unveiling a new hangtag at the April International Home Furnishings Market. The new tag is designed to be simpler and easier for consumers to read, and it contains an added precaution about small open flames such as matches, candles and lighters. It also is 20% larger, making it more readable. The revised format is intended to gain the attention of the purchasers of the product. UFAC's hangtag program, developed 23 years ago, was designed to help reduce the number of cigarette-ignited fires in upholstered furniture. Manufacturers who participate in the program - and use the gold UFAC hangtags - agree to meet the construction criteria outlined by the program to reduce the likelihood of upholstery fires. The hangtag, which is applied by the manufacturer at the factory, indicates to the consumer that the furniture meets these criteria. The UFAC program has been credited with helping to contribute to a 79.3% reduction in the number of upholstered furniture fires started by smoldering cigarettes. The trifold UFAC tags are presented in English, French and Spanish so that they can be understood by people all over North America. The organization provides the tags at a nominal cost to the manufacturer. Revenues are used to finance the UFAC voluntary program, including compliance verification, to fund additional research and to promote the program to the industry and consumers.