What is BS 6396 - Electrical systems in furniture about?
BS 6396 on the electrical systems in furniture has been around for more than 30 years to ensure that furniture that incorporates electrical systems is safe. BS 6396:2022 marks a step change in the standard’s scope by now including all furniture that distributes power, data and telecommunications, including office and domestic furniture and furniture in public areas, such as auditoria, care homes, hotel foyers, and waiting area seating in airports and train stations.
Who is BS 6396 - Electrical systems in furniture for?
BS 6396 on the electrical systems in furniture can be adopted by:
- Furniture designers
- Furniture equipment purchasers
- Test houses (technicians and quality managers)
- Furniture power distribution manufacturers
- Furniture installers
- Furniture specifiers
- IT and AV installers
- Architects
- Facilities managers
- Furniture dealers and retailers
- Owners of buildings/spaces within which there is furniture fed from 13A plugs for the use of ordinary persons
- Enforcement bodies approving installations for public safety
What does BS 6396 - Electrical systems in furniture cover?
BS 6396 on the electrical systems in furniture specifies requirements for the provision and assembly of electrical power, data and telecommunications distribution systems in furniture. Requirements are specified for furniture for general use and also for use with specific equipment, parts of which are potentially built-in during manufacture.
It provides guidance on the appropriate component requirements, cable separation requirements and earthing requirements for providing, installing and reconfiguring electrical equipment into furniture which will be plugged into the building’s fixed electrical installation via a 13-amp BS 1363 plug. Appropriate tests are described for the installed power distribution system in the furniture. Provision is made for the routing of cables through the furniture.
NOTE 1: BS 6396 covers furniture incorporating single phase electrical power distribution systems operating at rated voltages up to 250 V a.c. that are either supplied by connection to the fixed wiring of the permanent installation of the building by a 13 A fused plug and socket outlet arrangement conforming to the BS 1363 series, and/or derived from batteries at a nominal voltage not exceeding 48 V d.c.
NOTE 2: BS 6396 does not apply to electrical appliances used with or within an article of furniture for which appropriate standards are available. Any power distribution systems that are connected to the building installation by anything other than a 13 A BS 1363 plug or a supply derived from batteries installed within the furniture should follow the requirements of BS 7671. BS 6396 doesn’t apply to special purpose workstations in laboratories or workshops.
Why should you use BS 6396 - Electrical systems in furniture?
BS 6396 on the electrical systems in furniture can benefit your business because:
- This is the only available guide to the safe provision of power, data and telecommunications in furniture
- Its use enables the design or specification of furniture that protects cables, avoiding snagging or damage that could lead to the metal framework becoming live, resulting in the potential for electric shock or fire
- It now covers all furniture, including furniture that hasn’t previously incorporated electrical systems, and flexible or mobile furniture, e.g. manually adjusted sit-stand desks
- It supplies Health and Safety Departments with a reference they can use to ensure they’re providing a safe environment
- This revision ensures the standard is up to date, including recent developments and is easy to use to successfully ensure safe electrical installations in furniture
- It can help users enter new markets and trade more easily
- It can help accelerate innovation and improve efficiency
- It can help increase confidence in furniture with electrical systems and strengthen risk management
BS 6396 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure and Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production.
What’s new about BS 6396:2022?
BS 6396:2022 is a revision of BS 6396:2008+A1:2015 Electrical systems in office furniture and educational furniture – Specification. The major change in BS 6396:2022 is the extension of scope to cover all furniture. The standard also incorporates updated references and recent developments in technology. In particular, it:
- Clarifies the requirement for earthing, given the fundamental change of safety caused by the introduction of RCD protection for all 13A socket outlets
- Includes guidance on the inclusion of Extra Low Voltage (ELV) systems within the power distribution system itself, including appropriate testing of systems that include ELV elements
- Introduces a specification for miniature resettable thermal overload circuit breakers
- Includes batter technology to avoid problems (such as crush and shear) already experienced by airlines with phones trapped in aircraft seats