The acronym GPSR stands for
consumer products general safety and it refers to furniture also.
One of the aims of the GPSR, in force and applicable starting from 13 December 2024, is to guarantee an even more higher level of the consumer safety protection right from the product design stage, according to a principle of
safety by design, and then maintaining it during the use of the product.
Products placed on the market must be safe, but there is also more. As a guarantee and evidence of this, but also as prevention and defence tool for the manufacturer himself, the GPSR also prescribes as obligations to be carried out an
internal analysis of the potential risks associated with the use of the product and to draw up a related documentation which may contain the list of relevant technical standards applied and the results of any tests carried out, either in-house or by a third party.
Hence, the technical product standards, with the EN standards at the top of the list, while remaining non-mandatory, are to all intents and purposes a useful reference ‘suggested’ by the legislator, to be taken into account for the purposes of assessing product safety (ref. art. 8 of the GPSR).
GPSR Regulation and furniture: technical standards are ready for the use
In the furniture sector, the EN safety standards are available for every specific type of furniture (seating, tables, storage furniture, beds, ...) and for every intended use (domestic, non-domestic, outdoor, office, ...). Standards also provide for a studied and well-defined
sequence of tests that typically includes:
- general safety requirements (sharp edges, entrapment points, ...)
- structural safety requirements (e.g. strength for seating);
- requirements related to the presence of glass components (e.g. for tables and storage furniture);
- stability of the product;
- information for use.
In the context of GPSR, the application of the
safety by design principle can therefore be translated into the choice of also using the technical standard, in the concept phase, product development and testing, control and maintenance of conformity at the end of serial production processes.
The standard can therefore be used:
- in design phase, the standard can provide useful references and criteria for evaluating the shape and geometry of the product;
- in prototype verification phase, the standard can provide minimum requirements for the initial check of critical performances (e.g. strength and stability);
- at the product testing stage, the standard is the base for a full conformity verification in the lab, internal or by a third party; and even also ...
- ... in the conformity maintenance phase of mass-produced products: the standard is the base for third-party product certification processes.
We would like to remind again about that in this context, the standard remains a voluntary tool, its more or less extensive application within the products catalogues is a manufacturer's responsibility.
GPSR Regulation and furniture: how Catas can help you
Under the GPSR, the implementation of internal procedures and processes for product safety is also the responsibility of the manufacturer.
In this context, the Catas proposal is made of a set of services that will necessarily have to be ‘tailor-made’ for each company, taking into account ‘where it starts from’ and what is the conformity programme planned by each customer.
Our service package within the GPSR framework may include:
- training on demand (introduction to GPSR and in-depth study of the content and applicability of technical product standards);
- laboratory tests, according to the applicable mechanical safety standards, based on a single sample request or according to annual testing programs;
- product certification (or product family certification), a support tool that allows the extension of testing and monitoring to the entire series production.
Contact us to find out more or to arrange an ad hoc in-depth appointment with our technicians!
For info:
Serena Petaccia
+39 0432 747260
[email protected]
Some available sources:
GPSR Regulation 2023/988, summary and full text:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/IT/legal-content/summary/general-product-safety-regulation-2023.html; Safety Gate Portal - Obligations for businesses (Includes official FAQ list and general presentation of the Regulations):
https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/pages/obligationsForBusinessesUNI portal for purchasing and consulting current technical standards:
https://store.uni.com/advanced-searchGuide to risk assessment in furniture products edited by FederlegnoArredo and CATASAvailable on request by writing to:
[email protected]
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