Safety requirements for candles. Update EN 15426: Candles - specification for soot behavior.

In November 2018, the new version of EN 15426: Candles - Specification for soot behavior was published. Conflicting national standards including the British and German standards must be withdrawn by May 2019. What does this mean for candles traded in the Netherlands? What are the main changes in the new standard?

Candles traded on the Dutch market must comply with the Commodities Act Decree on General Product Safety (WAPV), which implements European Directive 2001/95/EC on General Product Safety. There are no Dutch standards available: you can use three European product safety standards to demonstrate that your candles comply with the WAPV. Fire safety specifications are covered in EN 15493, product safety marks derive from EN 15494, and EN 15426 specifies the requirements and test methods for evaluating the soot behavior of burning candles intended for indoor use.

Main amendments to EN 15426

In EN 15426, soot emissions are measured by the soot index of three test samples. The greater the emission of soot, the higher the soot index is. In the old version, one of the requirements was that each individual candle not exceed a soot index of 2. In the new version, this requirement has been simplified and the individual requirement no longer applies: only the average soot index of the three candles is considered.

A second important change concerns the time period in which soot emissions are measured. In the old version, candles up to and including 39 grams are burned in one period until a residual height of 10mm is reached. In the new version, candles heavier than 25 grams are tested in intervals of 240 minutes, with breaks of at least 60 minutes long, until the remaining height is 10mm. A break of at least 60 minutes is necessary to prevent unreasonable emissions of soot at the beginning of the next test period. Additional emissions may be caused by wax that has not yet solidified.

Practice

The test method was adapted to what is common in practice: the break of at least 60 minutes long, was already implemented in test labs for practical reasons. Also, with the old version, it was rare for any of the three candles to exceed the soot index of 2 while meeting the required average of 1. This means that if your candles were produced in accordance with EN 15426:2007, you may still be able to use this standard to demonstrate that your products comply with the WAPV. However, it is advisable to check this carefully.

Need support?

Want to know if your candles still meet prescribed product safety requirements? Précon Quality Services can assist you with this. Please contact us at +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com. You will then receive our free quote for substantive advice.