Hospitals, as public places with high safety requirements, necessitate curtains with stringent fire resistance to mitigate fire risks. According to British Standard 5867-2, hospital curtains must undergo the Type C testing method, which represents the most rigorous fire performance classification within this standard.

Core Requirements of 5867-2 Type C Testing

High-Frequency Cleaning Preconditioning: Requires 50 industrial washing cycles in accordance with EN ISO 10528, simulating the effects of long-term wear and cleaning.

Multi-Stage Ignition Test: Following EN ISO 15025:2002, a vertically suspended curtain sample is subjected to flame applications of 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, and 30 seconds sequentially, progressively increasing the fire source intensity to verify flame resistance limits.

Testing Methods and Evaluation Criteria

Flame Application Method: The flame is applied to the surface of the curtain (not the edge), simulating real-world fire contact scenarios.

Passing Conditions:

Flames and any afterglow must extinguish within 2.5 seconds after the flame source is removed;

Flames must not spread to the fabric edges;

No burning debris should detach.

5867-2 defines three testing methods—Type A (low risk), Type B (medium risk), and Type C (high risk)—based on the risk level of the application scenario. Below is a comparative analysis of these three testing methods:

Type A Assessment Criteria (10 seconds):

No part of any burn hole may reach any vertical edge of the sample.

No part of the lowest boundary of the flame may reach any vertical edge of the sample.

The first marker thread must not be severed by burning.

Type B Assessment Criteria (15 seconds):

No part of any burn hole may reach any vertical edge of the sample.

No part of the lowest boundary of the flame may reach any vertical edge of the sample.