Archived News Article
DFS gain further ‘Certified Company’ status under upholstery compliance scheme
Furniture manufacturers, DFS Furniture Company Ltd, has achieved ‘Certified Company’ status under the Furniture Industry Research Association’s recently launched ‘Compliance Scheme for the Fire Performance of Upholstered Furniture’. This follows on from DFS’s retail arm being confirmed as a Certified Company back in February 2018.
The compliance scheme aims to offer reassurance that a manufacturer, retailer, upholsterer or supplier of upholstered furniture has suitable processes and procedures in place to demonstrate due diligence compliance with the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations (FFFSR).
The scheme also has a co-ordinated Primary Authority Partnership with Hertfordshire Trading Standards, whereby eligible Certified Companies can benefit from ‘Assured Advice’.
In order to become a Certified Company of the Compliance Scheme, DFS’s three UK upholstery manufacturing sites were audited to ensure due diligence procedures covering all facets of production were not only in place, but were robust enough to meet the requirements of the FFFSR.
Phil Reynolds, Director of the Furniture Industry Research Association said “It’s been great to see the reception our new Compliance Scheme for the Fire Performance of Upholstered Furniture has received from across the industry.
“Fire safety is a very emotive topic for consumers and it’s down to all of us to ensure safety is at the heart of upholstery products. We recognise that some aspects of the FFFSR can be hard to interpret for some organisations as there are so many variables which come into play. This is why we created the Compliance Scheme, to protect both the industry and consumers. This is further backed by the Assured Advice element from Hertfordshire Trading Standards.”
Speaking on their additional Certified Company status, Harvey Ellis, Production Director at DFS said: “The health and safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us at DFS. Anything we can do to reassure consumers’ that we adhere to the most rigorous standards of fire safety is something that our team are delighted to take part in. As the UK’s leading sofa retailer and manufacturer, my team and I are very proud to receive this independent certification as it demonstrates our commitment to making the best quality products for our customers.”
Full details on the new Compliance Scheme are available from www.fira.co.uk/compliance. Those who are interested in becoming a Certified Company should contact FIRA via info@fira.co.uk or call +44 (0)1438 777 700.
