SGS Expert Reviews EU Furniture Recalls Between 2015 and 2018
A review of RAPEX data on furniture recalls reinforces the need for ensuring furniture is properly tested before being offered onto markets in the EU.
- (1888PressRelease) April 25, 2019 - Between 2015 and 2018, one third of furniture recalls notified under the European Union’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX) were for bunk beds. The majority of recalls were because the bunk bed did not conform to EN 747, the standard for safety, strength and durability.
Various reasons were given for these non-conformities, including:
• Distance between side rail slates may allow child strangulation
• Distance between mattress top and the top of the barrier may be insufficient to prevent falling
• Opening on short side of the bed may allow falling when the child rolls on the top of the bed
The majority of notifications for bunk beds were made in Sweden and related to products from Poland.
The RAPEX data also showed that overall the number of furniture recalls during the period 2015 to 2018 had remained fairly stable. Stakeholders should, however, be aware that 2018 saw the first recall for an ironing board. This happened in France, where a campaign concerning ironing boards was held in 2018. France is the only country to have an ironing board standard - national standard NF D 80 010. This has safety information about stability and strength, and the recalled ironing board did not fulfil the standard’s requirements for stability.
Stakeholders should be aware other countries are now considering applying NF D 80 010 for ironing boards to prove conformity to the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD).
The RAPEX data also shows that the number of countries recording recalls is rising, with Lithuania and Spain currently being the most active members – about 40% of total recalls. Bulgaria, Denmark, France and Sweden are beginning to catch up.
The data also shows us that China continues to the main source of recalled items – around 44%. This isn’t surprising as China is the dominant exporter of furniture to the EU. Poland is then second with 28% of recalls – mostly bunk beds – and finally Vietnam, as the main producer of outdoor furniture, is third with 8%.
Stakeholders are advised to check their products comply with the relevant EU regulations to ensure they are not subject to a recall.
SGS Furniture Services
SGS helps you deliver well-designed, functional, durable and safe products to your customers. We have the furniture industry, regulatory and technical expertise to check your products’ compliance against relevant standards and/or your own specifications. Learn more about SGS’s Furniture Services: [www.sgs.com/furniture]
For more information, please contact:
Priscille Galceran
Global Furniture Expert
Tel: +33 4 42 61 64 47
www.sgs.com/furniture
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 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
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