To address market concerns andσ σ to provide clarity regarding co±'₹♥nformance with BIFMA inπ₩dustry standards, the Business and In<→&stitutional Furniture Manufacturers As♠≤ →sociation (BIFMA) is®✘$☆ developing their own con♣<©formance program and mark for$§ the industry to use.  Entitled ' “BIFMA Compliant”, this conf→&σormance program will be a way t₽∑★o identify and disting$& uish furniture products that com€•ply with the BIFMA in★πdustry standards, from those that miδ™πght not.  The program©±α± will officially launch on October₽π 1, 2020.

   In May 2018, BIFMA released ↕∑πBIFMA PC-2018, which is ess×&α&entially a set of rules specif¶<ying the minimum expectations fε→"±or when a product claims conformancασe to a BIFMA standard.  This ✔​' BIFMA PC-2018 document is φ$a major component of this new  <conformance program.↕λ←✔   

  The BIFMA Compliant program wi•÷↓ll cover nine of the BI✘&FMA mechanical standards thaδ©±★t focus on safety &≈↔÷  durability.  These standards ar¥±γe the following:

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 Gen♣≠φ eral-Purpose Office Chairs

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.4 Lounge &a©←≥mp; Public Seating

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.5 Desk / Table Produ‌™ ≠cts

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.6 Panel Systems≈✔

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.9 Stor®'age Units

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.11 General-Purpose Lar>★∑§ge Occupant Office Cha☆¶irs

• ANSI/BIFMA X6.1 Educational Seat±©ing

• ANSI/BIFMA X6.4 Occasional-Use Seatin↑‌∞g

• ANSI/SOHO S6.5 Smallπ<&​ Office / Home Office↑§$

To be eligible for the program∑↑, in addition to some administrσ​ 'ative tasks with BIFMA, companies will ∞↓need to have product tested ™↔÷in an ISO 17025 accredited lab with∑γ the relevant BIFMA s∞™tandards included in the scope of tha≤≤£₩t accreditation, to ensureφγ€♠ compliance with the appropriate BIFMA ‌§<standard(s) as well as meeting the expe≠£Ωctations specified within BIFM♥↔A PC-2018.

 Starting in early 2020, BIFMA anticipat≈≤<es that it will begin executing‌↕∑← agreements with manufacturers regarδ∑ding this program, and by mid-2020, β≤‌φBIFMA may start loading info©∞"εrmation onto their n​∞αew website registry for compliant pro★$ σducts.  Again, the registry will ≥&×go live on October 1, 2020 coβ‍←ncurrent with the formal × ¶ program launch.