Requirements on indoor candles

Important factors concerning the safety of candles designed for indoor use include:

  • stability of the candle
  • use of a suitable wick yarn and candle wax
  • appropriate instructions
  • warnings.

The manufacturers, commissioners, importers, distributors and sellers of indoor candles are responsible for their safety.

Because indoor candles are general consumer goods, they are not CE marked, and no permission from an authority is required to sell them.

However, the scope of application of the standards on indoor candles does not include candle lanterns that do not contain candle wax, or cake or joke candles. Their safety requirements can be found in the Tukes Guide ‘Safety requirements for candle products and certain products that constitute a fire hazard’

Safety requirements

Indoor candles must fulfil the requirements of the Consumer Safety Act: they must not pose a danger to the health or property of consumers.

The requirements on the fire safety of indoor candles are described in the standard SFS-EN 15493, which includes more detailed safety requirements and test methods. Indoor candles may only release a limited amount of soot into indoor air. The test method and the sooting behaviour requirements have been presented in the standard SFS-EN 15426.

Markings and operating instructions

Indoor candles must include:

  • information required for safe use
  • warnings in Finnish and in Swedish.

The instructions can include illustrative images to improve clarity, and instead of text, information can be provided with commonly known instruction or warning symbols.

Standard SFS-EN 15494 provides detailed requirements on the labelling of indoor candles. Important warnings to be attached to indoor candles include:

  • the general warning sign
  • text stating that
    • burning candles must not be left unattended
    • burning candles must be kept out of reach of children and pets
    • the distance between candles must always be at least xx cm. The manufacturer must provide a recommendation for the safety distance.)
    • burning candles must be placed on a non-combustible surface, sufficiently far from any combustible materials.

The markings must be either on the candle or on its sales package, or they must be provided with the candle on a tie-on label.