Structures testing: Extension to fixed UKAS scope across five standards

The experts at FIRA International have received an extension to their fixed scope of UKAS accreditation, incorporating five structural standards, with the following standards now included:

• BS EN 1729 pt 2 - 2023 - Furniture. Chairs and tables for educational institutions - Safety requirements and test methods.
• BS EN 747 pts 1 & 2 – 2024 - Furniture. Bunk beds and high beds - Safety, strength and durability requirements.
• BS EN 1725 - 2023 - Furniture. Beds. Requirements for safety, strength and durability.
• BS EN 16121 - 2023 - Non-domestic storage furniture. Requirements for safety, strength, durability and stability.
• ISO 19833 - 2018 - Furniture - Beds - Test methods for the determination of stability, strength and durability.

Speaking on the extension to scope, Darren Hone, newly appointed Operations Manager at FIRA International, said, “I would like to thank all our colleagues for supporting us as we moved to widen our UKAS accreditation. The team worked hard to demonstrate our competence in testing across these five standards. We were already skilled in testing previous versions of the BS EN standards, but the ISO standard is a new addition to our structural team.

We encourage all customers to consider testing the newly updated standards to ensure ongoing compliance, and we look forward to supporting them and explaining the changes they can expect in future test reports.”

In further detail, amendments to each standard include:

• BS EN 1729 pt 2 – 2023 - Furniture. Chairs and tables for educational institutions - Safety requirements and test methods.

The extension of scope now includes safety requirements and test methods for kindergarten, childcare institutions and early years education settings. There are also additional requirements for single column chairs, and chairs with armrests. There is an inclusion of corner stability for chairs and forwards stability for tables, along with extra safety requirements for sizemark 0-3 chairs.

• BS EN 747 pts 1 & 2 – 2024 - Furniture. Bunk beds and high beds - Safety, strength and durability requirements.

The 2024 version of this standard includes requirements for vertically protruding parts; accessible holes; gaps and openings; safety barriers; means of access; shear and squeeze points; platforms and stairs; other accessible holes; gaps and openings; strength of means of access, attachment, deflection and strength. Further requirements for stability, strength of frame & fastenings, instruction for use, marking and purchase information, are all given in more detail. Alongside conditions of preliminary preparation and alignment of the test method on holes, gaps and openings with EN 747-1 (Furniture. Bunk beds and high beds - Safety, strength and durability requirements). There are also additions for horizontal static load test for safety barriers, strength test for safety barriers and static and impact tests for handrails, platforms and platform barriers.

• BS EN 1725 – 2023 - Furniture. Beds. Requirements for safety, strength and durability.

Changes here include additional test methods for electrically operated bed mechanisms, alongside the introduction of requirements for guest beds. There are also requirements for non-domestic use and the introduction of information for use requirements. Additional strength and durability requirements include headboard and horizontal testing and the inclusion of entanglement hazards. The test method has also changed to ISO 19833: 2018.

• BS EN 16121 – 2023 - Non-domestic storage furniture. Requirements for safety, strength, durability and stability.

This updated version of the standard now includes office and laboratory storage incorporating:

• BS EN 14073-2: 2004 - Office furniture. Storage furniture - Safety requirements.

• BS EN 14073-3: 2004 - Office furniture. Storage furniture - Test methods.

• BS EN 14074-2: 2004 - Office furniture. Tables and desks and storage furniture. Test methods

In addition, there is an update to the requirements for finger entrapment reflecting CEN/TR 17202: 2018, and the requirements for glass have been amended.

• ISO 19833 – 2018 - Furniture - Beds - Test methods for the determination of stability, strength and durability.

There are now test methods and requirements for determining the stability, strength and durability of all types of fully assembled beds, including bed frames and bed bases.

For further details about testing with our experts please contact us.

FIRA International’s full scope of accreditation is available here.