The Melcourt Amenity Guide - British Standard 4790:1987

British Standard 4790:1987 "Determination of the effects of a small source of ignition on textile floor coverings, Hot Metal Nut method"

Melcourt Ornamental Bark Mulch, Bark Nuggets^®, Graded Bark Flakes, Spruce Ornamental and Amenity Bark Mulch have been fire tested using the above British Standard method. The following table sets out the results of the tests:-

Product Name

Duration Of Flaming (seconds)

Greatest Radius of Char

Face (mm)

Back (mm)

Classification

Melcourt Ornamental Bark Mulch

Low

Melcourt Bark Nuggets^®

Low

Melcourt Graded Bark Flakes

Low

Melcourt Spruce Ornamental

Low

Melcourt Amenity Bark Mulch

Low

All tests were carried out by WIRA Testing Centre, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Each product was tested three times. The 'worse' case test results are listed above.

The classification of the radius of effects of ignition are: Low
Medium
High up to 35
40 - 75
80 plus millimetres
millimetres
millimetres

The results are specific only to the Melcourt products tested.

Why did we have these mulches fire tested?

So that we could have an independent opinion, in accordance with a British Standard test method, to identify the likely fire risks when these particular products are used on site.

This is particularly significant when the products are to be used on an area of potential fire risk, such as car parks, vehicle fuel filling stations etc.

What is the benefit of British Standard 4790:1987 Fire testing to the Landscape Architect

In the absence of any British Standards for mulches, soil ameliorants and composts, this is one of the few independent tests that can be carried out to compare the potential fire performance.

You can advise your client or their insurance company, that the product used have known, quantifiable fire characteristics.