It's important for a bunk bed to pass certain fire safety requirements. This involves a minimum clearance between the top of the top bunk mattress and the ceiling to ensure smoke detector protection and to prevent head injuries. The bed cannot obstruct fire safety equipment, a window, HVAC systems or an entrance or exit. A student should also use a fire-retardant paint on the bunk bed.
The materials used for bunk beds can vary widely. Developers use both wood and metal frames often, leaving the choice up to the consumer. Mattresses also come in a variety of materials and may require separate purchase. For college dorms, a student should consider fire-retardant materials, such as a metal frame and a special fire-resistant mattress.
The headboard and footboard, or the "end structures," must also meet certain specifications. An end structure must be a minimum height of 5 inches above the thickest possible mattress and must maintain that height for at least half the length of the end structure. The top bed must not have any large openings in the headboard or footboard to prevent the chance of neck entrapment and accidental hanging.
Some institutions require that the upper bunk have guardrails on either side to protect occupants from falling out. These rules define how long the guardrail on either side must be and how large of a gap it must have. For example, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that the side of the bed next to the wall have a continuous guardrail for the entire length of the bed and that any gap at either end of the rail not exceed 0.22 inches. The CPSC also requires that the rails be no shorter than 5 inches above the top of the mattress and that the bed sufficiently restrains the guardrails in place.