 DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
ICS: 97.140  
 
© EAC 2022                                                                                                                        First Edition 2022   
 
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Mattresses  — Specification  – Part 2: Spring  mattress  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS 1115 -22022  
ii © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted without prior permission from EAC, 
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© East African Community  2022  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  Violators 
may be prosecuted . DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Communi ty. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged within 
the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and issue 
East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies 
in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector organizations  in the 
community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stake holders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner 
States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance 
with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards.  
East Af rican Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible  for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 069 , Organic and Inorganic 
chemicals.  
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent rights. 
EAC shall not be held responsible for ident ifying any or all such patent rights.  
DEAS 1115  consists of the following parts, under the general title Mattresses — Specification : 
⎯ Part 1: Flexible polyurethane foams  
⎯ Part 2: Spring mattresses  
 
    
DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
 
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
  
 Mattresses  — Specification  – Part 2: Spring mattress  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for spring mattress for the 
general usage.  This standard does  not cover orthopaedic and reconstituted mattress es. 
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the 
latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
ISO 8124 -3, Safety of toys - Migration of certain elements  
ISO 13934 -1, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation 
at maximum force using the strip method  
ISO 13934 -2, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 2: Determination of maximum force using the grab 
method  
ISO 105 -C10, Methods for the determination of colour fastness of textile Materials to washing  
ISO 105 -D01, Method for determination of colour fastness of textile materials  to dry  cleaning  
ISO 380 , Textiles — Woven fabrics — Determination of mass per unit length and mass per unit area  
DEAS  1115-1, Domestic mattresses — Specification  — Part 1: Flexible polyurethane (polyether) foams  
ISO 23213 , Carbon steel wire for bedding and  seating springs  
 
ISO 11130 , Corrosion of metals and alloys — Alternate immersion test in salt solution  
 
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard,  the following and terms and definitions shall apply.  
ISO a nd IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 basic filling  
filling adjacent to the spring unit  
 
 DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
2 © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
 3.2 bursting strength  
force required to rupture a fabric by distending it with pressure applied at right angles to the plane of the fabric  
 
3.3 breaking strength  
maximum load (or force) supported by a specimen in a tensile test carried to rupture  
3.4 core  
central part of spring mattress that provides support to the mattress, with the material being made of springs.  
 
3.5 defective  
spring mattress that fails in one or more respects to comply with the appropriate requirements of the  
specification  
 
3.6 spring unit   
unit made up of either open coil or pocketed springs and the connecting elements between them including 
boarder wire.  
  
3.7 open coil spring   
spring mattress in which the springs are not enclosed in pockets but connected together by other suitable means  
  
3.8 pocketed spring   
spring mattress in which the springs are enclosed inside pockets and the pockets are connected together by 
suitable means.  
  
3.9 insulation   
suitable insulating material on both sides of the spring unit to prevent the spring from pro truding  
  
3.10 padding   
any suitable material which can give comfort to the user  
  
3.11 tick  
suitable outer cover that provides a comforting top layer of the mattress  
 
3.12 warp 
yarns/threads lying lengthways in a fabric as woven  
 
3.13 weft 
yarns/threads lying width ways in a fabric as woven (at right angles to the warp)  
 
3.14 yarn 
generic term for a continuous strand of textile fibres or filaments without twisting, suitable for plying,  knitting,  
braiding, weaving or otherwise intertwining to form a textile end product  
 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 Spring mattress  shall not contain impurities or harmful residues such as amines which are volatile and 
driven off by heat generated in the formation of foam.  
 
4.1.2 Adhesives used shall be either nitrile or neoprene based. If neoprene -based  adhesives are used, they 
shall not have acidity of more than pH 3.5. The adhesives shall be able to withstand heat and moisture 
treatments as effectively as the foam itself.  DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  3 
  
4.1.3  Monofilament sewing thread shall not be used . 
 
4.1.4 All sewing shall be securely and neatly finished off.  
 
4.1.5  The spring unit used shall be tempered with heat or electricity.  
 
4.1.6  The spring mattresses shall have a prebuilt border (see 4.2. 3) that covers the sides and ends of the 
mattresses.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
4.2.1  Ventilators  
If the spring mattress is fitted with ventilators ; 
a) Ventilators shall be made of suitable material which do not contain antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, 
chromium, lead, selenium, mercury or any soluble compound of any of these elements, exceeding the 
amounts given in table 1 .  
 
b) Ventilators (if fitted) sh all not be positioned on the sleeping surface of a mattress.  
 
Table 1: heavy metals limits for ventilators  
S/N Parameter   Limit, mg/kg, max  Test method  
i.  Antimony  60 
ISO 8124 -3 ii.  Arsenic  25 
iii.  Barium  1 000  
iv.  Cadmium  75 
v.  Chromium  60 
vi.  Lead  90 
vii.  Mercury  60 
viii.  Selenium  500 
 
4.2.2 The cover of spring mattresses shall be  of a woven ticking, or a knitted ticking and shall conform to the 
specific requirements given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the methods specified therein.  
 
Table 2 — Specific requirements for  ticking  
SL. No  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i)  Breaking strength  
(woven ticking) N, min.  Warp  980 
ISO 13934 -1 
Weft 490 
ii)  Bursting strength (knitted ticking), KPa,  min. 700 ISO 13934 -2 
iii)  Colour fastness to 
washing  Change in colour, 
rating, min.   
 
4 ISO 105 -C10 
Staining of transfer 
cloths, rating, min  
iv)  Colour fastness to dry -
cleaning  Change in colour, 
rating, min.   
 
4 ISO 105 -D01 
Staining of transfer 
cloths, rating, min  
v)  Flammability  No foam specimen 
shall burn for 3 or more 
minutes nor shall burn 
beyond 75 mm gauge 
line Annex A  DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
4 © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
  
4.2.3 Prebuilt borders shall be firm and shall consist of one or more layers of wadding, polypropylene fabric, or 
other acceptable material (of total thickness in all cases, at least 5 mm) stitched to a backing of Hessian or other 
material of at least equal str ength and of acceptable quality.  
 
4.2.4 Hessian used as the backing of the basic filling and for prebuilt borders shall conform to the specific 
requirements given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the methods specified therein  
 
Table 3 — Specific requirements for  hessian fabric   
SL. No  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i)  Breaking strength N, min.  Warp  310 ISO 13934 -1 
Weft 220 
ii)  Threads per 10 cm, min.  Warp  27 ISO 13934 -2 
Weft 21 
iii)  Mass per unit area,  g/m2, min.  155 
 ISO 3801  
 
 
4.2.5 Polypropylene fabric used as the backing of the basic filling shall be of split film polypropylene yarns. 
When tested in accordance with ISO 3801, the minimum mass per unit area of the fabric shall be 155 g/m2.  
 
 
4.2.6 Padding   
Spring mattress shall consist of a layer of a minimum of 25 cm around the core in a composite structure with 
the sole purpose of equalizing the pressure on the human body.  
 
4.2.7 Ticking  
The tick can be fixed to the mattress by means of stitching or by tapes running through the mattress (tufting). 
Sometimes the tick is not fixed, and can be removed from the mattress by customer.  
 
4.2.8 Spring unit  
4.2.8.1 The whole of the spring unit, including vertical springs and where applicable the helical wire used in 
lacing the springs together, shall be made from wire conforming to ISO 23213 .  
 
4.2.8.2 All spring unit, knotted -coil construction shall consist of transverse rows of coils connected by  helicals  
running at right angles of the long axis of the unit in such a manner as to prevent a free hinge action.  
 
4.2.8.3 Each unit shall have  helical or clipped border on both top and bottom perimeters with 4 mm minimum oil 
tempered border wire, where the corners of this unit have 63.5 mm  
 
4.2.8.4 The spring shall have the minimum height of 10 cm with at least 4 turns or convolutions.  
 
4.2.8.5 Each finished spring unit shall be regular in shape and size and when measured with the unit standing 
on a flat surface, the edges shall stand vertically, fo rming a right cylinder, with no point on the vertical side 
varying by more than 10 mm from the sides of the right cylinder.  
 
4.2.8.6 The size of the inner spring shall have the minimum of 90 mm when tested according t o Annex B. 
 
4.2.8.7 All wire ends shall face inwards and helical wires shall be clenched or crimped to ensure secure fixing.  
 
4.2.8.8 All metal parts shall show no evidence of corrosion when assessed in accordance with ISO 11130.  
4.2.9 Dimension  DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  5 
 4.2.9.1 Spring  mattress shall have a minimum thickness of 15 cm when tested according to Annex B. Width and 
length allowed shall comply with DEAS 1115 -1. However, the width and length may be customized.  
 
4.2.9.2 The material used for edge frames shall be high carbon ste el strip of width at least 5 mm and thickness 
at least 1.60 mm or high carbon steel wire of diameter at least 3.75 mm  when tested according to Annex B . 
4.2.10 Number of springs   
4.2.10.1 Each spring unit shall contain not less than the number of springs specified for the appropriate 
mattress size in tables 5 and 6. 
 
Table 5: Mattresses for adults' use  
 
Nominal unit size (mm)  Minimum number of springs  
Open coil  Pocketed  
900 X 1  900 192 300 
1 000 X 2  000 225 338 
1 350 X 1  900 288 450 
1 500 X 2  000 325 520 
1 880 X 2  000 384 928 
 
4.2.11.2 The spring density for units of sizes other than those listed in tables 2 and 3 shall be at least the value 
shown in table 4.  
 
Table  6: Mattresses for children's use  
 
Nominal unit size (mm)  Minimum number of springs  
Open coil  Pocketed  
540 X1150  54 105 
690 X 1300  88 153 
 
4.2.10.3 The spring density for units of sizes other than those listed in tables 5 and 6 shall be at least the 
value shown in table 7. 
 
 
Table  7: Minimum spring density for units of other sizes  
 
Use Minimum number of springs  
Open coil spring density  
(springs/m2) Pocketed spring density  
(springs/m2) 
Adults  108 169 
Children  87 169 
 
4.2.1 1 Endurance  
When a mattress is subjected to an endurance test in accordance with Annex C, there shall be no significant 
failure of any part (internal or external) of the mattress that could affect its fitness for use, and the loss in height 
at any of the points tested shall not exceed 5 %.  
 
5 Packaging  
5.1 Each mattress shall be  so packed that they are adequately protected during normal transportation and  
storage.  
 
 
5.2 Mattresses shall be individually wrapped in sealed bags that prevent any damage, gross distortion and 
nicking to contents during storage and transportation.  
 DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
6 © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
 6 Labelling  
Each spring mattress shall be legibly and indelibly labelled in the outer upper waist of the mattress or a label 
attached on it, in English and/or any other official language (French, Kiswahili, etc) used in the importing East 
African Partner State with the following informati on:  
 
a) grade of foam mattress ; 
b) nominal length, width and thickness ; 
c) registered trade name of the product if any ; 
d) name of the manufacturer ; 
e) batch number/lot number and date of manufacture ; 
f) country of origin ; and  
g) instructions as applicable . 
 
7 Sampling  
Representative samples shall be taken in accordance with the Annex D. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex A  
(normative)  
Test for f lammability   
A.1 Apparatus  
  
An apparatus as shown  schematically in Figure A.1 and consisting of a heat-resistant glass tube (chimney) in 
which a test specimen can be mounted, the base of the tube being connected to metered supplies of oxygen 
and nitrogen.  The glass tube shall have a diameter of at least 75 mm and a height of at least 450 mm, and shall  
have at its base a bed of glass beads (or other inert particles) that will mix and distribute the incoming gases.  
The tube shall also contain a clamp that is capable of holding a test specimen (vertically) that the top of the 
specimen is at least 100 mm below the top of the tube.  
  
The oxygen and nitrogen used shall be of commercial grade (or better) and shall be supplied to the base of the 
glass tube through individual metering devices that enable the volumetric flow of each gas to be measured with 
an ac curacy of 1 % or better.  
 
A.2 Test specimens   
 
From the appropriate slab cut five specimens each of size 12.5 + 0.5 mm x 12.5 + 0.5 mm x 130 mm and draw 
a gauge line across each specimen 75 mm from the end that is to be positioned uppermost in the apparatu s. 
 
A.3 Procedure   
  
Clamp a test specimen in the holder of the apparatus so that it is held vertically in the centre of the glass 
chimney.  Open the valves of the gas cylinders and adjust the flow so that the oxygen content of the gas mixture 
is 20 + 0.2 % and that the flow rate up the glass chimney (as calculated from the volumetric flow rate divided by 
the cross -sectional area of the chimney) is 40 + 10 % mm/s.  Allow the gas to flow for at least 30 s and then, 
using a small gas flame at the end of a tub e, ignite the test specimen so that the whole of the upper surface is 
burning.  Note whether the specimen burns for 3 min or longer and if not, whether or not the specimen has 
burned to below the 75 mm gauge line.  Repeat the test with the remaining four s pecimens.  
 
 
 
 
 
Figure A.1 — General arrangement of flammability test apparatus  
 
 
 
 
DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
8 © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
 Annex B  
(normative)  
Dimensions  
B.1 Apparatus  
B.1.1 Metre rule , a steel rule graduated in millimeters and accurate to 1 mm (or better).  
 
B.1.2 Micrometer , a micrometer accurate to 0.01 mm (or better) with a presser foot of area at least 6.5 cm and 
capable of exerting a pressure of 100 + 10 Pa.  
 
B.2 Procedure   
 
Measure the dimensions of each sample (using the steel rule for dimensions greater than 30 mm and  the 
micrometer for dimensions not exceeding 30 mm).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex C  
(normative)  
Test method for endurance  
C.1 Apparatus  
A compression apparatus capable of cyclically compressing (between parallel platens) the central part of the 
complete mattress to 67 % of its free height and then releasing it, at a rate of 60 ± 5 cycles/minute. The apparatus 
shall have a lower platen large enough to support the whole mattress, and an upper compressing platen with a 
corrugated contact surf ace of the size and shape shown in Figure C.1. The specified compression shall be 
measured at the positions of maximum compression caused by the corrugated platen.  
C.2 Preparation of test specimens  
C.2.1 Place the mattress to be tested and taken in accord ance with Annex H, on a solid plane horizontal base 
for a period of at least 12 h.  
 
C.2.2 Place a flat steel pressure plate (of diameter 300 mm ± 2 mm and mass 2 kg ± 0.2 kg) on each of the six 
measurement positions (in turn) shown in Figure C.2, and meas ure (to an accuracy of ± 2 mm) the height of the 
mattress at each of these positions. Ensure that the pressure plate is lowered slowly and without shock on to 
each of the measurement positions, and that each measurement is taken at least 10 s after applica tion of the 
pressure plate.  
C.3 Procedure  
Position the upper platen of the apparatus with its longitudinal axis along the longitudinal axis of the mattress 
and its centre vertically above the midpoint, 0, of the measurement positions (see Figure C.2), sec ure the 
mattress against horizontal movement, and operate the apparatus for 60 000 compression cycles. Allow the 
mattress to recover for at least 12 h, again measure the height as described in C.2.2, and calculate (for each of 
the six points) the loss in h eight as a percentage of the original height. Cut the mattress open and examine for 
compliance with 4.2.12  
 
Figure C.1 — Compressing platen for endurance test  
DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
10 © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
  
 
 
 
Figure C.2 — Measurement positions for endurance test  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
© EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  11 
  
Annex D 
(normative)  
Sampling  
 
D.1 General  
  
D.1.1 A lot shall comprise not less than 10 and not more than 500 inner spring mattresses of the same class, 
materials, dimensions, and construction, from one manufacturer, submitted at any one time for inspection and 
testing  
 
D.1.2 The sampling procedure in D.2 – D.3 shall be applied in determining whether a lot complies with the 
relevant requirements of the specification. The samples so taken shall be deemed to represent the lot for the 
respective properties.  
 
D.2 Sample for inspection  
From the lot take (whe n relevant, at random) the number of mattresses shown in Column 2 of Table D.1 relative 
to the appropriate lot size shown in Column 1. Visually examine each mattress for all the relevant requirements 
of Clause 4, compliance of which is not assessed by the testing. 
 
D.3 Sample for testing  
After visual inspection of the sample taken in accordance with D.1, take from it at random the number of 
mattresses shown in Column 3 of Table D.1 relative to the appropriate lot size shown in Column 1.  
 
Table D.1 Sample sizes  
 
1 2 3 
Lot size,  mattresses  Sample for inspection, mattresses  Sample for testing mattresses  
10 - 15 All 2 
16 - 100 15 2 
101 - 300 20 4 
301 - 500 30 6 
 DEAS 1115 -2:2022  
12 © EAC 2022  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] TZS 1411:2014 Spring Mattress - Specification    
[2] US 1575: 2014  Spring mattresses - Specification  
 