BS EN 14073-3:2004 – Office furniture — Storage furniture — Part 3: Test methods for the determination of stability and strength of the structure

1 Scope
This document specifies test methods for the determination of strength of the structure of free standing or screen and wall hanging office storage furniture as well as stability of free standing units.
This document is applicable to mobile furniture, with the exception of the test described in 5.2 which is replaced by the test described in 6.7 of EN 1 4074:2004. This document does not apply to high density mechanized filing systems, rotary filing systems, or plan files.
The tests are intended to simulate overbalancing forces and structural loads, which may occur during normal functional use, as well as misuse that might reasonably be expected to occur.
Safety depending on the structure of the building is not included, e.g. the strength of wall hanging cabinets includes only the cabinet and its parts. The wall and the wall attachment are not included. Safety requirements can be found in EN 1 4073-2. Assessment of ageing is not included.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 1 4074:2004 Office furniture – Tables and desks and storage furniture – Test methods for the determination of strength and durability of moving parts ISO 761 9:2004 Rubber – Determination of indentation hardness by means of pocket hardness meters. m
3 General test conditions
3.1 Preliminary preparation The tests specified in this standard are designed to be applied to an item of furniture that is fully assembled and ready for use. Before any of the tests are commenced, the item shall be old enough to ensure that it has developed its full strength. The furniture shall be tested as delivered. Ready to Assemble furniture shall be assembled according to the instructions supplied with it.
If the furniture can be assembled or combined in different ways, the most adverse combination shall be used for each test. This is also applicable to units that can be combined with other units or components.
Wall or screen mounted units shall be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The tests shall be carried out in indoor ambient conditions but, if during a test, the atmosphere temperature is outside the range 1 5 °C to 25 °C the maximum and/or minimum temperature shall be recorded in the test report.
BS EN 14073-3:2004 – Office furniture — Storage furniture — Part 3: Test methods for the determination of stability and strength of the structure