It is advisable to check with your health authority or public health officer to determine the best ways to disinfect bedding. Any mattress issued to an inmate in any facility shall be enclosed in an easily cleaned, non-absorbent ticking. Any mattress purchased for issue to an inmate in a facility which is locked to prevent unimpeded access to the outdoors shall be certified by the manufacturer as meeting all requirements of the State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Home Furnishings' test standard for penal mattresses, Technical Information Bulletin Number 121 dated April 1980. Mattresses issued to inmates must be constructed with an easily cleaned, nonabsorbent ticking or cover. Such a covering allows potential stains and soil to be wiped off with a damp cloth and do not require periodic sterilization as did the old fashioned cotton ticking.
Mattresses pose a significant fire and smoke hazard in locked detention facilities.
For this reason, this standard requires that mattresses used in any locked facility must meet the California Bureau of Home Furnishing's test standard for penal mattresses, Technical Information Bulletin Number 121. This test considers a number of important issues such as the ease or difficulty with which the mattress can be made to burn, the smoke it generates and the percentage of weight loss. Supply catalogs often claim their mattresses meet specified federal or other non-California standards, but unless it specifies meeting the California test standard, it is not approved for locked facilities in California. Technical Information Bulletin Number 121, dated April 1980. Keep the letter of certification on file for review by the fire marshal during his or her annual inspection.