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Outdoor furniture

Furniture for the home garden, restaurant patio or camping ground, is now the subject of a revised standard.

The 2017 version of EN 581-1 covers the safety checks to be carried out on outdoor seating and tables for camping, domestic and contract use. It is essential that all suppliers and buyers of this type of furniture ensure that products they are sourcing have been tested to minimise complaints regarding safety issues. EN 581-1:2017 has been listed in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and, as such, is deemed to form part of the annex to the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD). This means that this harmonised safety standard can be used to evaluate outdoor furniture products and hence show compliance with the GPSD (so-called ‘presumption of conformity’).

The standard has been updated to address general safety requirements for outdoor furniture. For example, although the new standard still calls for edges to be rounded, it no longer gives a specific radius. It also changes the way in which gaps and holes are tested.

The main differences between the old and new standards are outlined below.

Clause 5 Safety requirements

How can we help?

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Please click here for information on SATRA's furniture testing services. Email furniture@satra.com to discuss how SATRA can help your company with the testing of outdoor furniture for safety, fitness for purpose and durability.