This International Standard specifies a method for the assessment of the burning behaviour, often superficial, of textile floor coverings in a horizontal position when exposed to a small source of ignition under controlled laboratory conditions.

The method specified in this International Standard is applicable to all types of textile floor coverings whatever their construction or their fibre composition. The method may also be applicable to unfinished material. In this case, the result does not indicate the behaviour of the material in the condition in which it is used.

The results obtained on specimens in a horizontal position, as specified in this International Standard, do not apply to the behaviour of the textile floor covering when used in another position, particularly in a vertical position.

The present method should be used solely to assess the properties of materials or systems in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used for the evaluation or regulation of the hazard of textile floor coverings under actual fire conditions. The method has been used extensively in the trade for acceptance testing and is considered satisfactory as a test for acceptance of merchandise, provided that an appropriate sampling plan such as one selected from ISO 2859 is used.