CFAS Summer 2019 Journal

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CONTRACT FURNITURE AND THE GENERAL PRODUCT SAFETY DIRECTIVE (GPSD) THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION RECENTLY PUBLISHED A GUIDE ENTITLED ‘THE GENERAL PRODUCT SAFETY DIRECTIVE: A GUIDE TO LEGISLATION AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY’. IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS KEY DIRECTIVE MAY ALSO EXTEND TO SOME CONTRACT FURNITURE. Almost every ‘product’ that is made commercially available for use by consumers falls within scope, “(a) ‘product’ shall mean any product - including in the context of providing a service - which is intended for consumers or likely, under reasonably foreseeable conditions, to be used by consumers even if not intended for them, and is supplied or made available, whether for consideration or not, in the course of a commercial activity, and whether new, used or reconditioned”. www.cfasuk.co.uk 26
Contract furniture and the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) This not only includes products that are intended for use by consumers, but also commercial, or non-domestic, products that may reasonably find their way into the hands of a consumer. A good example of this is in relation to furniture products which could be used in a home office. The Research Association’s guide aims to give a basic understanding of how the Directive can apply to furniture products and in particular to: • explain the content and reach of the General Product Safety Directive, the products or industries to which it applies and its relationship with other existing Regulations and Directives • identify how this impacts on manufacturers, producers or distributors of furniture products in the UK • explain the value of risk assessment, when this should be undertaken and to highlight useful tools • highlight the relevance of product testing and the hierarchy of documents such as harmonised standards including where this sits within the GPSD • identify who is responsible for enforcement of the Directive i ncluding the penalties that may be involved • explain the RAPEX system (Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Consumer Products), including actions which may be taken by enforcement and market surveillance authorities Although an EU Directive, the requirements were transposed into UK legislation as the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, and it is fully expected that this will not be affected post Brexit. The Regulations, as with the Directive, have a single aim to ensure that only safe products are placed on the market. Furthermore the Regulations transpose requirements for monitoring and traceability of potentially dangerous products to ensure they can be traced and removed from circulation to avoid any risks to consumers. The full ‘The General Product Safety Directive: A guide to legislation and its application in the furniture industry’ is available from www.fira.co.uk/gpsd www.cfasuk.co.uk 27
Page 1 and 2: THE www.cfasuk.co.uk | SUMMER 2019
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