Are Your Mattresses
Suitable for Commercial Use?
In Ireland, mattresses used in commercial accommodation are generally expected to meet the Crib 5 (Ignition Source 5) standard under BS 7177, which sets out the level of fire resistance required for furnishings in different environments.
A Crib 5 mattress is engineered to resist ignition and self-extinguish where possible, helping to slow the spread of fire through a building. A standard consumer mattress is not designed to the same specification.
Whether your specific property is required to use Crib 5 furnishings depends on how it's being operated and the guidance applicable to that setting. We always recommend confirming this with a qualified fire safety professional for your individual property.
Who's Responsible
If you own, manage, lease or operate a property that hosts paying guests, you have a duty of care to provide a reasonably safe environment. That responsibility generally sits with the operator — not the supplier, not the contractor, not the previous owner.
In practical terms, this means:
- Knowing what's inside your property
- Being able to show that the furnishings are appropriate for the way the property is being used
- Keeping documentation to support that
What Could Be Examined After an Incident
In the event of a fire, the suitability of furnishings — including mattresses — may be reviewed as part of any investigation, insurance assessment or claim.
Where furnishings are found to be unsuitable for a commercial environment:
- Insurers may take this into account when reviewing a claim
- Property owners may be required to demonstrate that reasonable steps were taken
- The operator could potentially be exposed to personal liability, particularly where appropriate precautions were not in place
"This is why getting it right ahead of time is so much easier than trying to defend it after the fact."
How Aran Sleep Helps
Every Aran Sleep commercial mattress is supplied with the documentation operators typically need on file:
If a fire officer, an insurer or an inspector ever asks, the paperwork is already in your file.
This page is provided as general guidance only. The specific fire safety requirements for any property depend on how that property is operated, and on guidance applicable to that setting. It is the operator's responsibility to determine the standards their property is expected to meet, and to consult a qualified fire safety professional where appropriate. Aran Sleep supplies fire safety documentation with every commercial mattress to support operators' compliance records.
