New British standard for children's beds due this year
A new British standard for children’s beds is set to be introduced this year, combining elements of toy, cot and adult bed standards.
BS 8509: 2008 Children’s beds for domestic use – Safety requirements and test methods is in the final stages of being drafted, and is intended to cover types of bed that are missed by current standards. It covers all types of domestic convertible cot beds, children’s beds and beds marketed to children, with the following exceptions:
Cots (and the cot function of convertible cot beds) – these are covered by BS EN 716: 1996 Parts 1 & 2: Furniture – Children’s cots and folding cots for domestic use (this standard is shortly to be revised)
Bunk beds – these are covered by BS EN 747: 1993 Parts 1 & 2: Furniture - Bunk beds for domestic use.
Fold away beds – these are defined as beds that are wall mounted and fold into the wall. They pose very specific hazards. Adult beds are covered by BS EN 1129: 1996 Parts 1 & 2: Furniture – Foldaway beds – Safety requirements and testing.
Mid sleepers – these are beds with a bed base 400mm or more above floor level. They are products that bridge the gap between normal beds and bunk beds, and again pose specific hazards to the user.
The new standard joins together the appropriate parts of the toy standards (BS EN 71), the cot standard (BS EN 716) and the adult bed standard (BS EN 1725), and will have requirements for:
Chemical hazards – toxicity of coatings/materials, formaldehyde content
Flammability hazards – for curtains/drapes and fabrics used on the beds that do not fall under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations: 1988.
Entrapment hazards – the requirements around gaps and openings in the bed and bed base.
Structural strength and rigidity – impact and durability of the bed and components.
Information – the minimum requirements for the information supplied with the product.
The standard is likely to be published before the end of the year, but as FIRA has sat on the committee responsible for its development, it has access to the pre-publication standard. FIRA’s testing team can therefore offer advice on product design and test products to the standard prior to its publication, giving our customer’s a competitive advantage and allowing their products to be fully compliant from day one.
Children’s furniture in general is a growing market. It is an area not well served by standards, making proof of compliance to the General Product Safety Regulations difficult. Adult standards tend to be too onerous, and toy standards tend to miss some of the functions. FIRA is currently working with a group of retailers (under the auspices of the Furniture Retail Quality Group) to produce a suite of industry standards to cover these products. Keep checking askFIRA for developments.
A new British standard for children’s beds is set to be introduced this year, combining elements of toy, cot and adult bed standards.