SGS : Updated EN Standards for Indoor Candles Published

SAFEGUARDS | HardgoodsNO. 170/19

EN 15493 and EN 15494, the specifications for fire safety and product safety labels of candles intended to be burned indoors, were updated in October and November 2019 respectively. These standards set out requirements which help to ensure a reasonable degree of safety during use and to minimize inappropriate use during the burning of a candle.

Both standards are now available and their previous version (i.e. 2007) is superseded. All conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn by April 2020 at the latest.

Table 1 and 2 list the comparison of significant changes between the 2019 versions of the standards (EN 15493 and EN 15494) and their predecessors.

Table 1 - Significant changes between 2019 and 2007 version of EN 15493

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES	BRIEF
EN 15493	2007 Edition	New Edition
Improved terms and definitions	Candle One or more combustible wicks supported by a material that constitutes a fuel, which is solid, semisolid or quasi-rigid at room temperature (20°C to 27°C)	Candle One or more combustible wicks supported by a material that constitutes a fuel, which is solid or semisolid at room temperature (20°C to 27°C) with the main function of sustaining a light-producing flame, including any coatings on and articles or substances in the fuel
New terms and definitions	NIL	Floating candle Candle intended and designed for use in a suitable bowl or container filled with water
		Indoor candle Candle intended and designed for use inside a house or a building with typical indoor conditions concerning ventilation, draught and temperature.
		Non-freestanding candle Candle that is designed to be used with a supporting holder
		Aftersmoke time Time the wick continues to smoke visibly after extinguishing the flame
		Residual height Height of the candle, measured from the bottom of the candle to the surface of the molten fuel pool
Modified requirement for self-extinguishing candles	Container candles and candles Shall self-extinguish at the end of the burning time Shall not cause the container to break	Freestanding candle Shall self-extinguish at the end of the burning time. Shall neither burn a paper placed underneath nor cause any scorch marks on it during the whole burning test Non-freestanding candle Shall self-extinguish at a residual height of ≥12 mm in case of candles with a maximum diameter of ≤ 14 mm and at a residual height of ≥18 mm in case of other candles Shall not crack or break at any time throughout the burning test (applicable to container candle)
Defined more detail in the test procedure for the burning test	Trimming the wick Follow the instructions for use, if any.	Trimming the wick Follow the instructions for use provided with the candle as long as these instructions are limited to the mandatory or optional supplementary safety information defined in EN 15494. However, the following exception shall be considered: If the instructions indicate to trim the edges but a risk assessment shows that secondary ignition might occur at the edges of a candle (containing non-wax components e.g. lacquer or plastic foil) if the edges are not trimmed, then the test shall be done without trimming the edges between burning cycles.
	Floating candle Place in a suitable bowl filled with water.	Floating candle Place in a suitable bowl filled with water. The bowl is made from a heat resistant material and filled with water to a level less than 1 cm below the rim.
	Freestanding candles marketed as self-extinguishing Place on a surface that does not affect the burning property	Freestanding candles marketed as self-extinguishing Place on standard white copy paper, which covers the entire surface of the bottom of the candle plus at least 2 cm around the edges of the candle in all directions.
	Distance separated between candles during the test Except for floating candles, shall be separated by the distance specified by the manufacturer's instructions	Distance separated between candles during the test Except for floating candles, all candles shall be separated by the distance specified by the instructions. If there are no instructions, the samples shall be arranged without any distance between them. If the specified distance for tea lights is > 5 cm, they shall be arranged with a distance of 5 cm between them regardless of the instructions.
Revised the requirement for aftersmoke time	The wick shall not continue to glow or smoke for more than 20 s after extinguishing.	The wick shall not continue to glow or smoke for an average time of more than 30 s after extinguishing.
Modified the characteristics of candles selected for burn test cycles	Type of candle: a) Floating candles, container candles and candles marketed as self-extinguishing with a mass below 40g (including tea lights) b) Floating candles and container candles with a mass above 40g c) Candles with a mass below 40g (excluding floating candles and container candles) d) Candles with a mass above 40g (excluding floating candles and container candles)	Type of candle: a) Floating candles, container candles and candles marketed as self-extinguishing with a mass ≤ 25g b) Other candles with a mass ≤ 25g c) Floating candles, container candles and candles marketed as self-extinguishing with a mass > 25g d) Other candles with a mass > 25g
New informative Annex A for calculations of hourly fuel consumption	NIL	Evaluation of hourly Fuel Consumption, help to improve the candle
New informative Annex B for analysis of container candle surface temperatures	NIL	Evaluation of container candle surface temperatures, help to achieve a balance between the required product performance and the container temperature reached during the burning process

Table 2 - Significant changes between the 2019 and 2007 version of EN 15494

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES	BRIEF
EN 15494	2007 Edition	New Edition
New terms and definitions	NIL	Candle One or more combustible wicks supported by a material that constitutes a fuel, which is solid or semisolid at room temperature (20°C to 27°C) with the main function of sustaining a light-producing flame, including any coatings on and articles or substances in the fuel
		Container candle Candle that is produced and used in the same container
		Floating candle Candle intended and designed for use in a suitable bowl or container filled with water
		Indoor candle Candle intended and designed for use inside a house or a building with typical indoor conditions concerning ventilation, draught and temperature
		Tea light Cylindrical candle that is burned in a container which may be suitable to keep vessels containing coffee, tea or other liquids warm, by using a warming stove
		Votive candle Candle that fully liquefies and is designed and intended to be burned in suitable container
		Product safety label Label on a product that informs the observer of one or more potential hazards and describes the safety precautions and/or actions required to avoid the hazard(s)
		Supplementary safety information Safety information symbol or safety information text whose main purpose is to provide additional clarification
Modified the layout of product safety labels	The safety information symbol or text shall be placed below or beside the general warning sign.	The supplementary safety information symbols or texts shall be placed in close proximity to the general warning sign below and/or to the right beside the general warning sign. Borders are optional.
Modified the mandatory supplementary safety information	Never leave a burning candle unattended Burn candle out of the reach of children and pets Always leave at least xx cm between burning candles Do not burn candles on or near anything that can catch fire	Never leave a burning candle unattended Keep away from things that can catch fire Keep away from children and pets Use a heat resistant candleholder (specific for certain candle types) Use in a suitable bowl filled with water (specific for floating candle)
New requirement on the minimum height of the supplementary safety symbols	NIL	Min. 5 mm
Modified the options for candles with a limited space for the label	In cases where the safety labeling on the packaging or product is not practical, an instruction leaflet shall be available at the point of sale	If the space is limited, the optional safety information can be placed elsewhere, e.g. on the rear of a peel off label or the inner sides of a fold-out label, together with the mandatory safety information repeated. There shall be clear indication where to find this additional safety information.

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