Shower Curtains

Q: Our Director of Nursing ordered new shower curtains for our patient/resident shower rooms in our nursing home. She was assured by the salesman the curtains would be 'fire-retardant' NFPA compliant. Upon receipt the curtains were 100% vinyl and were not labeled in any fashion as fire-retardant as she knew they should be, and like our current curtains are. Upon speaking with the salesman, he assured me these shower curtains were used "all over the country" in "facilities like yours." I politely advised him I would not allow them to be used in our facility as they did not bear the label and I knew the fire marshal would be looking for it as he has in the past. I returned the curtains to the manufacturer and purchased the correctly labeled curtains. Now I’m wondering if I did the right thing. Any thoughts?

A: Actually, the sales guy may have been right. Ironically, curtains used in showers are exempt from having to be fire-rated. Section 19.7.5.1 (2) of the 2012 LSC says curtains used in showers and baths do not have to comply with section 10.3.1 on flame propagation on furnishings.

But your point is well taken. Some sales people will say anything in order to get the sale, regardless if it is true or not. And, some of them do not know what they are talking about.