ISPA’s Sleep Products Safety Council Introduces New Mattress Safety Hangtags
ISPA Hangtags Are Response to New Open-Flame Standards
June 2007
The International Sleep Products Association’s Sleep Products Safety Council is introducing new mattress hangtags to help educate consumers about mattress safety to coincide with new federal open-flame standards for bedding that take effect July 1.
The SPCS first developed hangtags 20 years ago to help mattress manufacturers inform consumers about product safety, and has sold approximately 220 million hangtags in the United States and Canada since their introduction.
“We have worked closely with (Consumer Products Safety Commission) to establish this new standard, and now that it’s passed, our work is far from over,” said Tom Taylor, acting chairman of the SPSC. “The new mattresses will meet fire safety standards, but that does not mean mattresses are fire-proof--they will only burn more slowly and less intensely, allowing for more time to escape from a home. That’s a critical message to communicate, and our redesigned mattress hangtags provide one of the best and easiest ways to educate consumers about their new mattress’ flammability, as well as provide other important safety tips.”
The bright yellow hangtags, titled “Don’t Go To Sleep Yet ... Eight Things You Need to Know About Your Mattress,” highlight safety messages regarding smoking, matches, candles, space heaters, electrical cords, sleeping with babies, and the disposal of plastic wrapping and old mattresses. Pricing for the basic hangtag has not changed, but the SPSC has lowered the price for the redesigned and re-sized Tyvek version that can be permanently sewn onto the mattress.
The new hangtags are designed to meet the needs of non-English-speaking consumers in the U.S. and Canada, using a series of pictograms about fire safety that can be understood in any language. In addition, the hangtag encourages those who speak Spanish or French to visit the SPSC Web site (www.safesleep.org) for more information. An English/French version of the SPSC hangtag is available for products sold in Canada.
Proceeds from the hangtags support the SPSC’s mission to provide consumer safety information, support scientific research, and promote activities aimed at reducing hazards associated with mattresses and other sleep products. The SPSC’s efforts reach beyond flammability issues and encompass other mattress-related subjects, including child safety, suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), smoke detectors, and indoor air quality research.
To view the new hangtag, click here.
The SPCS first developed hangtags 20 years ago to help mattress manufacturers inform consumers about product safety, and has sold approximately 220 million hangtags in the United States and Canada since their introduction.
“We have worked closely with (Consumer Products Safety Commission) to establish this new standard, and now that it’s passed, our work is far from over,” said Tom Taylor, acting chairman of the SPSC. “The new mattresses will meet fire safety standards, but that does not mean mattresses are fire-proof--they will only burn more slowly and less intensely, allowing for more time to escape from a home. That’s a critical message to communicate, and our redesigned mattress hangtags provide one of the best and easiest ways to educate consumers about their new mattress’ flammability, as well as provide other important safety tips.”
The bright yellow hangtags, titled “Don’t Go To Sleep Yet ... Eight Things You Need to Know About Your Mattress,” highlight safety messages regarding smoking, matches, candles, space heaters, electrical cords, sleeping with babies, and the disposal of plastic wrapping and old mattresses. Pricing for the basic hangtag has not changed, but the SPSC has lowered the price for the redesigned and re-sized Tyvek version that can be permanently sewn onto the mattress.
The new hangtags are designed to meet the needs of non-English-speaking consumers in the U.S. and Canada, using a series of pictograms about fire safety that can be understood in any language. In addition, the hangtag encourages those who speak Spanish or French to visit the SPSC Web site (www.safesleep.org) for more information. An English/French version of the SPSC hangtag is available for products sold in Canada.
Proceeds from the hangtags support the SPSC’s mission to provide consumer safety information, support scientific research, and promote activities aimed at reducing hazards associated with mattresses and other sleep products. The SPSC’s efforts reach beyond flammability issues and encompass other mattress-related subjects, including child safety, suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), smoke detectors, and indoor air quality research.
To view the new hangtag, click here.
