With a rise in the availability of sit-stand desks, recliner chairs and adjustable beds, motorised furniture has become increasingly common, but the use of mechanisms and electrical components in furniture brings with it requirements and considerations for manufacturers, purchasers, specifiers, importers and distributors.
A new guide to CE Marking, applicable to some furniture products and a key indicator of a product’s compliance within EU legislation regarding safety, health and environmental protection, has been launched this week.
The practical guide, ‘Getting started with CE Marking for the furniture supply industry’, has been funded by the Furniture Industry Research Association and written by experts at FIRA International.
Bruce Lovell, Business Process Improvement Consultant for FIRA and author of the guide, explains: “Due to the rise in the use of electro mechanics in furniture this project has been funded by the Furniture Industry Research Association to help ensure there is a good level of understanding within the furniture industry. Responsibility for CE Marking lies with whoever first places the product on the EU market, so it is important to know your legal obligations and how to properly check if products meet the criteria to be sold and purchased in the EU. For a product to be affixed a CE Mark, it must have undergone an assessment and comply with all applicable directives. The guide explains which directives are relevant, which standards can be used to prove compliance, which products can be self certified, which need to be CE Marked and how this can be achieved.”
The CE logo on a product indicates that the product has been assessed before being placed on the market and satisfies the essential health and safety requirements contained within EU safety Directives, such as the Machinery and Medical Devices Directives. CE marking demonstrates that a product is suitable for sale across the European Economic Area.
The Guide also includes FAQs, a sample list of product groups and related directives, a process flow diagram for CE Marking, a technical checklist, a sample risk assessment and example of risk acceptability criteria.
With its unparalleled industry knowledge, the Furniture Industry Research Association is the only organisation that provides support for all sectors and for the entire furniture supply chain. It is a unique, not-for-profit membership-based organisation, run by the furniture industry for the furniture industry.
