FIRA International achieves wider UKAS accreditation across seven standards

FIRA International has achieved wider UKAS accreditation across seven British, European and American standards. The new accreditations were confirmed following a dedicated audit conducted by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS).

The new accreditations achieved for British standards include:

BS 8509:2008+A1:2011 Children’s beds for domestic use. Safety requirements and test methods BS 8474:2013. Furniture. Chairs with electrically operated support surfaces. Requirements

Under European standards, UKAS confirmed FIRA International’s accreditation to:

BS EN 716-1:2017. Furniture. Children’s cots and folding cots for domestic use. Safety requirements BS EN 716-2:2017 Furniture. Children’s cots and folding cots for domestic use. Test methods

New accreditations under American standards include:

ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 Office Chairs ANSI/BIFMA X5.4 Lounge & Public Seating BIFMA X6.4 Occasional-Use Seating

Speaking on the new accreditation, Howard James, testing and technical manager at FIRA International, says: “As a team we’re really pleased to have achieved these seven new accreditations from UKAS. These are all standards our experts were very accustomed to conducting, so the next logical step was to gain recognition from UKAS to underpin our current testing procedures.

“In terms of our customers, with the Transition Period upon us, the North American accreditation will be key, as we’ve been supporting more and more customers over recent months as they potentially begin to look away from Europe to new markets.

“It’s worth noting that there are quite significant differences between British and European standards compared to North America, so a recognised test certificate showing conformity is key. BIFMA are launching a new approved scheme in early 2021, so with our new accreditations we’ll be able to go even further in supporting customers. 

“Our next aim is to attain UKAS accreditation for the California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 Requirements, Test Procedure and Apparatus for Testing the Smolder Resistance of Materials Used in Upholstered Furniture standard, which will again support clients as they target the North American market.”

www.fira.co.uk/testing