EN 14727:2005 – Laboratory furniture – Storage units for laboratories – Requirements and test methods

1 Scope
This European Standard specifies requirements and test methods for storage units (see 3.1) used in laboratories.
This European Standard specifies strength, durability and safety requirements to prevent serious injury through 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 fixing in the wall are not included.
It should be understood that the tests do not ensure that structural failure will not eventually occur as a result of habitual misuse or after an excessively long period of service.
Assessment of ageing, degradation and the heating effect of appliances are not included nor are ergonomic aspects or resistance to fire.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this European Standard. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 131-2, Ladders -Requirements, testing, marking
EN 14072:2003, Glass in furniture – Test methods
EN 14749:2005 Domestic and kitchen storage units and worktops – Safety requirements and test methods
ISO 7619-2, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic – Determination of indentation hardness – Part 2: IRHD pocket meter method
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this European Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
storage unit
item of furniture consisting of cupboards and/or shelves and/or drawers, intended for the storage of laboratory materials and equipment
3.2
free-standing unit
unit not attached to the structure of the building
3.3
built-in unit
unit attached to the structure of the building, directly or via other units
3.4
wall-mounted unit
unit supported entirely by one or more walls of the building
3.5
top mounted unit
unit supported by the ceiling
3.6
mobile unit
unit equipped with glides, wheels or castors
3.7
latching device:
device which automatically holds a door in the fully open or fully closed position
3.8
locking mechanism
device which prevents a door from opening once it has been activated by a deliberate movement
4 General test conditions
4.1 Preliminary preparation
The furniture shall be tested as delivered. If of knock-down type, it shall be assembled according to instructions supplied with the furniture. If the furniture can be assembled or combined in different ways, the most adverse combination shall be used for each test. The same is valid for units that can be combined with other units or components.
The test unit shall be stored in indoor ambient conditions for at least one week immediately prior to testing. Any deviation from this procedure shall be stated in the test report. Except for the deflection of shelves, the tests shall be carried out in indoor ambient conditions, but if during a test the temperature is outside the range 15 ºC to 25 ºC, the maximum and/or minimum temperature shall be recorded in the test report.
The tests for the deflection of shelves shall be carried out at a relative humidity of 45 % to 55 %, If during a test the relative humidity is outside this range, the maximum and/or minimum shall be recorded in the test report. Where applicable, units shall be mounted with the fixing points specified by the manufacturer, using fixings which will not fail during the tests.
Tighten any assembly fittings before testing. The tests refer to furniture parts with conventional function. Combination of tests may be necessary to cover the properties of multi-function components, e.g. a shelf that can be pulled out on runners shall be tested for strength of shelf supports and tested for strength of the runners.
4.2 Test equipment The forces in the static load tests shall be applied sufficiently slowly to ensure that dynamic loads are negligible. Operation tests shall be carried out sufficiently slowly to ensure that kinetic heating does not occur. Unless otherwise specified, the test loads may be applied by any suitable device because results are not dependent upon the apparatus, provided the test equipment does not restrict deformation under load or tipping except when specifically required.
EN 14727:2005 – Laboratory furniture – Storage units for laboratories – Requirements and test methods