SGS Helps Retailers Deliver ‘KidProof’ Domestic Furniture

In the wake of
high-profile payouts by furniture retailers, SGS is reminding manufacturers
what requirements clothing storage units need to conform to for access onto US
markets.

As the world’s
leading provider of testing, inspection, verification and certification
services, SGS offers a comprehensive range of services to help manufacturers
deliver safe and compliant products to markets all over the world.

The need for
‘kid-proof’ furniture was demonstrated once again in January 2020, when a
large furniture retailer in
the US agreed to pay USD 46 million to the parents of a child who died when a
chest of drawers fell on him. This product had previously been recalled over similar
incidents.

Statistics collated by
the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) show that between 2000 and
2018, 459 children died as a result of tip-over injuries. Most of these
children (80%) were aged five or under.


The
CPSC had previously launched the “Anchor It” campaign in 2015. This
is a national public education campaign to prevent furniture and TV tip-overs
from killing and seriously injuring children. It
provides simple, cheap and effective advice to help create safer homes. Its
website includes advice for both parents and caregivers, and retailers and
manufacturers.

Manufacturers
are advised to ensure their products conform to two standards:

  • ASTM
    F2057 for clothing storage furniture
  • ASTM F3096 for anchoring or tip-over restraint systems

The CPSC went
further in February 2019 when its Deputy Executive Director, DeWane Ray,
published a letter urging furniture manufacturers to adhere to ASTM F2057,
Safety Specification for Clothing Storage Unit. In essence, the letter turned
this voluntary standard into a mandatory standard because it clearly stated
that clothing storage units that failed to comply with the standard would be
considered “defective”. There have already been instances where furniture has
been recalled when it fails to comply with the standard, even when serious
accidents had not occurred.

ASTM F2057 is already being included in legislation in parts of the US.
‘Harpers’ Law’ in New York State, passed in May 2019, requires retailers to only
sell clothing storage units that conform to ASTM F2057. If an item does not
comply, it must be sold with a permanent warning label and tipping restraint.

A new version of ASTM F2057 was released in 2019. It
covers chests, chests of drawers, drawer chests, armoires, chifferobes,
bureaus, door chests and dressers that are 27 inches (686 mm) in height or
above. This
standard is now being used by industry for non-scope furniture
products, such as dining/living room storage, bookcases, and utility storage.

SGS Furniture Services

SGS helps you deliver well-designed,
functional, durable and safe products to customers. They have the furniture
industry, regulatory and technical expertise to check a product is compliant
with relevant national and international standards, and/or a company’s own
specifications. They offer a wide range of testing solutions, including
mechanical (including ASTM F2057), chemical, flammability, finishing, performance and textile. Learn more about SGS’s Furniture Services:

For more information, please
contact:

Matthew
McGarrity

Senior Technical Manager
Tel: +1 (973) 461 1230

Email: crs.media@sgs.com

Website: www.sgs.com/softlines

LinkedIn:
sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading
inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized
as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 94,000
employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around
the world.

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