NFPA 705-1997 Recommended Practice for a Field Flame Test for Textiles and Films.
3-3.3 After 12 seconds of exposure, the match is to be removed gently away from the sample. 3-4 Requirements. During the exposure, flaming should not spread over the complete length of the sample or in excess of 4 in. (101.6 mm) from the bottom of the sample (for larger size samples). There should be not more than 2 seconds of afterflame. Materials that break or drip flaming particles should be rejected if the materials continue to burn after they reach the floor. Chapter 4 Summary 4-1 Limitations. The deficiencies and limitations of the field test method can lead to misleading or erroneous results, and the error can be in both directions. It is quite possible to have a too-small sample show several seconds of afterflaming, caus- ing the material to be rejected. It is equally possible for improper or inadequate field procedures to indicate satisfac- tory flame resistance. This can result in dangerous errors. 4-2 Precautions. Field procedures are useful, but they must be used with good judgment and their limitations should be recognized. Field tests should not be relied on as the sole means for ensuring adequate flame resistance of decorative materials, but, they are useful in augmenting a comprehensive regulatory program. Chapter 5 Referenced Publications 5-1 The following documents or portions thereof are refer- enced within this recommended practice and should be con- sidered as part of its recommendations. The edition indicated for each referenced document is the current edition as of the date of the NFPA issuance of this recommended practice. 5-1.1 NFPA Publications. National Fire Protection Associa- tion, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269- 9101. NFPA 255, Standard Method of Test of Surface Burning Charac- teristics of Building Materials, 1996 edition. NFPA 701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame-Resistant Textiles and Films, 1996 edition.NFPA 705 pdf download.