A voluntary safety standard meant to prevent accidental tip-overs may cover more furniture soon.
The ASTM International’s Furniture Safety Subcommittee recently recommended that safety standards should apply to furniture clothing storage units 27 inches high and taller, a drop from 30 inches. The proposal next must be considered by the organization’s larger Consumer Products Committee when it meets on March 11. If it accepts the recommendation, any objections would have to be addressed by the subcommittee in May before the new standard could be finalized.
ASTM International was formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials. It publishes thousands of voluntary safety standards for products, systems and services used around the world.
The Home Furnishings Association supports the voluntary furniture stability standards, which were first adopted in 2000, as well as an awareness campaign by the Consumer Products Safety Commission called Anchor It!
