U.S. Flammable Fabrics Act

The U.S. Flammable Fabrics Act is an act that was passed in 1953 to regulate the manufacture of highly flammable clothing. It was enacted after years of rayon viscose fabrics being proven to be the primary cause of quick starting, high temperature fires as well as having the secondary effect of causing illnesses in factory workers. Viscose is the key word when describing the chemical dangers of rayon fabrics, because a chemical named carbon disulfide is used to convert cellulose into a viscose fabric capable of being threaded together for clothing. This is an important distinction to make for the sake of clarity as cellulose fabrics are still commonly advertised as "green" in the sense that the fabric is derived from the cellulose in plants, but the introduction of carbon disulfide in the manufacturing process creates a reaction that is remarkably toxic to the workers who are developing and working with the fabric. There was also a series of tragic deaths in the 1940s caused by the highly flammable nature of the fabric involving children who were wearing long rayon pile cowboy chaps or brushed rayon sweaters. The Federal Trade Commission was initially placed as the enforcement authority but this responsibility was later transferred over to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1967 when the act was amended to include interior furnishings, paper, plastic, foam, and other materials used in wearing apparel and interior furnishings. A provision of the act makes willful violation a felony with maximum penalties of a $10,000 fine and 3 years in prison, which reflects how seriously the dangers of flammable fabrics were being taken. The Consumer Product Safety Commission was given the authority, under the U.S. Flammable Fabrics Act, to issue mandatory flammability standards. Flammability standards for clothing textiles, vinyl plastic film in clothing, carpets, rugs, children's sleepwear, mattresses, and mattress pads have all been established.

Amendment to 1953 Act
The amendment of the act in 1967 was meant to further the initial intention of the US Flammable Fabrics act by extending it to include the "prohibition of the introduction or movement in interstate commerce of articles of wearing apparel and fabrics which are so highly flammable as to be dangerous when worn by individuals, and for other purposes." This distinction was an integral one because it drew a clear line in the sand that American companies would not be allowed or expected to tolerate highly flammable fabrics to be manufactured or used in manufacturing. This act would also lead to the Fire Research and Safety Act of 1968, which was tasked to study different preventative methods against loss of life and injury by fire. 90th United States Congress cleared Senate bill on December 1, 1967. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted the Flammable Fabrics Act Amendment on December 14, 1967.