by Shane Henson — November 7, 2012—The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a nonprofit that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States, has approved the newly developed safety and performance standard for educational seating: ANSI/BIFMA X6.1-2012—reportedly the first of its kind.
The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) Seating Subcommittee worked to create this new ANSI/BIFMA X6.1 standard using several test methods from existing ANSI/BIFMA seating standards as a basis, yet developed several unique tests relevant to the educational environment, notes the organization. These included tests for educational products like convertible benches, chair-desks, and backpack hooks.
