Updated Tent Flammability and Labelling Rules

Summary#

Health Canada published a proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I on June 17, 2023 to update the rules about tent flammability and labelling. The proposal would replace the old test method in the Tents Regulations with the Canadian standard CAN/CGSB-182.1-2020, move indoor children’s play tents into the Toys Regulations under ISO 8124‑2, and make related changes to the Textile Flammability Regulations.

What it does#

• Replaces the current flammability and labelling method in the Tents Regulations with the modern Canadian standard CAN/CGSB-182.1-2020.
• Excludes children’s play tents that are not intended as outdoor shelters from the Tents Regulations.
• Adds fire-safety labelling and flammability requirements for those play tents to the Toys Regulations, using ISO 8124‑2 (the international toy flammability standard).
• Amends the Textile Flammability Regulations so play tents covered by the Toys Regulations are not double‑regulated.
• Keeps most current test equipment usable. Tests would still check materials “as received,” “after leaching” and “after weathering.”
• Gives businesses a transition window: goods made under old rules may continue to be sold for 365 days, and when the referenced standards are updated, manufacturers/importers get 180 days and advertisers/retailers get 365 days to comply.
• These are proposed changes; they would come into force on the day they are published in Canada Gazette, Part II if approved.

Who's affected#

• Tent makers, importers and retailers. Canada’s market is estimated at about 1 million tent products sold per year.
• Toy and play‑tent manufacturers, importers and retailers — especially those selling indoor play tunnels, teepees and bed tents.
• Testing laboratories that check flammability.
• Consumers, especially children and caregivers who use tents and play tents.
• Health Canada would keep enforcement and education responsibilities.
• It’s unclear whether every small or niche supplier will face the same costs; industry survey responses were limited.

Why it matters#

• The current tests were designed for old cotton/waxed canvas tents. Modern tents are mostly synthetic and burn differently. The proposed standards aim to measure flammability more appropriately for today’s materials.
• The change is meant to reduce the incentive to treat fabrics with flame retardant chemicals just to pass an older test. That could lower consumer exposure to some flame retardants.
• Costs to industry are expected to be small. The central cost estimate in the regulatory analysis showed a total present‑value 10‑year cost for tents of about $2.8 million and $281,000 for play tents; the estimated average retail price increase per tent was about $0.50.
• A cost‑benefit study reported a possible net benefit of $6.5 million under a central scenario, but the department said the expected reduction in fires or fatalities could not be reliably quantified, so it did not present monetized safety benefits.
• The proposal keeps protection against tent fires in place while aiming for more realistic testing and less chemical exposure. However, the actual effect on the number of fires, injuries or deaths is uncertain based on available data.