Publishing and copyright information

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the document was last issued.

The following BSI references relate to the work on this document: Committee reference FW/0/2

Draft for comment 13/30258052 DC

Publication history

First published July 2006

Second (present) edition, July 2013

Foreword

Publishing information

This British Standard is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 31 July 2013. It was prepared by Subcommittee FW/0/2, Domestic and contract furniture, under the authority of Technical Committee FW/0, Furniture. A list of organizations represented on these committees can be obtained on request to their secretary.

Supersession

This British Standard supersedes BS 8474:2006, which is withdrawn.

Information about this document

This is a full revision of the standard and incorporates the following principle changes.

The standard now specifies performance requirements for chairs suitable for users weighing up to 110 kg and up to 160 kg.
Requirements regarding shear and squeeze points are not specified. Instead, a motion lockout control is specified that can be operated by the user or a responsible person to prevent unintended movement of the chair.

The requirements of this standard are based on tests intended to reproduce normal use and common types of misuse to which chairs with electrically operated support surfaces could be subjected. However, the tests do not reproduce any abuse to which the chair might be subjected.

Manufacturers and importers of chairs with electrically operated support surfaces should be aware that if any part of the marketing of their products can be interpreted as claiming that a product is:

such chairs might be considered to be medical devices and therefore subject to the provisions of EC Directive 93/42/EEC (the Medical Devices Directive) [1].

All aspects of marketing may be considered when deciding if a product is a medical device, including point of sale claims. Manufacturers who do not have control over claims made at the point of sale are advised to consider whether they should take legal advice regarding their position.

Hazard warnings

WARNING — This British Standard calls for the use of procedures that can be injurious to health if adequate precautions are not taken. It refers only to technical suitability and does not absolve the user from legal obligations relating to health and safety at any stage.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its requirements are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “shall”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

In particular, attention is drawn to the following specific regulations:

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) [2];
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 [3].

1 Scope

This British Standard specifies requirements and test methods for chairs with support surfaces the position of which can be adjusted electrically by the seated person and/or a responsible person, including riser chairs, recliner chairs and rise and recline chairs. It specifies chairs suitable for adult users weighing up to 110 kg and up to 160 kg, with a normal body mass distribution. The standard is applicable to single and multiple seating units.

In the text of this standard the term “chairs” is used to refer to chairs with electrically operated support surfaces. The term “chairs” also refers to multiple seating units.

The standard is applicable to chairs intended for domestic and non-domestic use.

This standard specifies only the safety, strength, stability and durability of the chair structure. It does not specify the fire resistance or durability properties of filling materials, upholstery fabrics or foam cushions. Also, it does not specify the electrical safety of the support surface adjustment mechanism. The requirements in this standard are applicable to chairs in the fully assembled condition, ready for use. The standard does not specify resistance to degradation of the structural materials by sunlight or chemical attack.

This standard does not cover any ancillary devices attached to, or built into, the chair structure, such as a table, refrigerator or television remote control (see Note 2).

NOTE 1 Chairs which are medical devices are required to conform to EC Directive 93/42/EEC (the Medical Devices Directive) [1].

NOTE 2 If conformity to a standard is to be claimed for such ancillary devices, conformity assessment against the relevant standard(s) would need to be carried out separately.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 General requirements

4.1 Edges and corners

4.2 Tubular components accessible during use

5 Strength and durability

5.1 Strength and durability of chairs

5.2 Durability of chair surface adjustment mechanisms

6 Stability

7 Control system requirements

7.1 General

7.2 Control devices

8 Marking

9 Information to be supplied by the manufacturer

Bibliography

BS 8474:2013

Furniture. Chairs with electrically operated support surfaces. Requirements

Current

Published:

31 Jul 2013