Make sure you buy quality office furniture. Look for certifications!

Office furniture can be a major expense for most businesses. You want to buy the best to ensure your employees’ comfort and safety while making the smartest possible investment. How do you choose wisely among all the furniture on the market?

Various independent organizations specialize in certifying furniture based on very specific criteria. Their goal is to inform and protect the buying public. You can count on getting commercial quality when the office furniture you choose meets the industry’s three standards:

• ANSI / BIFMA

• GREENGUARD

• ISO 14001

 

ANSI / BIFMA construction standards

The ANSI / BIFMA standards set out construction criteria and performance tests specifically for office furniture. The standards are reviewed every five years to keep them up to date. Users enjoy multiple benefits when they choose office furniture that complies with those standards:

• Durability

• Functional, healthy workspace

• Less risk of workplace injuries or accidents

• Greater productivity

GREENGUARD health and safety standards

GREENGUARD certification improves office air quality by reducing workers' exposure to chemicals and other pollutants released by office furniture.

All GREENGUARD certified office furniture meets stringent standards for low volatile organic compound emissions in accordance with public health agency guidelines.

ISO 14001 environmental standards

The ISO 14001 standard was established for manufacturers who want to limit the environmental impact of their activities and continuously improve their environmental performance.

The standard focuses on managing the entire production cycle from an environmental perspective, starting with downstream activities by ensuring that subcontractors are certified. Product component traceability, packaging and shipping are also covered by the ISO 14001 standard.

Year after year, major investments are made in research to develop office furniture that meets these standards. For each new product they want to market, manufacturers build, test and evaluate prototypes in the factory and in a lab. This is done under the watchful eye of regulatory bodies that scrutinize the process for several months. Manufacturers and the regulatory bodies put together multidisciplinary teams of engineers, ergonomics specialists and industrial designers to guarantee the commercial quality of the office furniture you purchase.