Guide to Furniture Standards and Regulations in Australia

Furniture imported or manufactured for sale in Australia must comply with mandatory safety standards and associated AS and AS/NZS standards. This guide serves as an introduction to safety standards for children’s furniture, bunk beds, and other types of furniture.

• Furniture sold in Australia must comply with mandatory safety standards
• These cover mechanical safety, stability, flammability, labelling and other areas
• Some furniture standards reference additional AS and AS/NZS standards

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Children’s Furniture

Certain types of children’s furniture (and mattresses for such furniture) must comply with mandatory product safety standards. Testing is generally also necessary to verify compliance.

Consumer Goods (Infant Sleep Products) Safety Standard 2024

This standard sets requirements for infant sleep products. While this term is defined in the regulation, it sets specific requirements for certain types of children’s furniture.

• Folding cots, household cots and bassinets must comply with specific requirements
• General requirements apply to all infant sleep products
• Compliance with referenced product standards is required

Overview

General requirements

The following areas are covered under general requirements:

• Incline (horizontal)
• Incline (vertical)
• Curvature
• Surface rigidity
• Mattress
• Material of sides
• Restraint system etc. prohibited
• Castors or wheels
• Entanglement hazard
• Fit for purpose
• Locking mechanism
• Materials (component requirements)
• Entrapment hazard
• Small parts

Product specific requirements

As mentioned, product-specific requirements apply to folding cots, household cots and bassinets. These requirements primarily cover the following areas:

• Mechanical and construction requirements
• Warning labelling

Warnings

WARNING: this cot does not meet the mandatory safety standard. For display purposes only. It is dangerous to place a child in this cot

WARNING: do not use this product when the infant begins to push up on hands and knees or has reached [insert manufacturer’s recommended maximum weight], whichever comes first”.

Consumer Goods (Infant Products) Information Standard 2024

This standard sets requirements for information that must be provided when selling infant products, which are defined as an infant sleep product or an inclined non-sleep product.

• Labelling requirements apply
• Certain products require warnings
• Certain information must be displayed online and in stores

Instructions

Infant products must be accompanied by instructions that, for example, cover the following:

• Assembly
• Parts list
• How to fold or collapse the product
• Dimensions of the mattress recommended
• How to adjust the height of the product
• Warning
• Other information that relates to the safe use and maintenance of the product

Markings

Product warnings

The following warning statements must be present:

(a) infant should be placed to sleep on a firm, flat surface;

(b) place infant on their back when using this product;

(c) do not put objects or accessories in an infant’s sleep environment;

(d) do not place this product near a blind, cord, strap or similar item that could become wrapped around an infant’s neck.

Note that additional warning statements apply to inclined non‑sleep products. It should also be noted that the warning must contain:

• The word “WARNING”
• Triangle symbol with exclamation mark (min 6 mm height)

Warnings must also be displayed when selling online or in retail spaces.

Packaging warnings

The above mentioned warnings must also be affixed to the packaging (if any). Note that additional warning labelling requirements apply to plastic packaging:

WARNING: TO AVOID DANGER OF SUFFOCATION TO BABIES AND CHILDREN, DISPOSE OF PLASTIC PACKAGING IMMEDIATELY

Toppling Furniture

The Consumer Goods (Toppling Furniture) Information Standard 2024 sets requirements for toppling furniture as defined in section 4:

• Clothes storage units or bookcases with a height of 686 mm or more
• Entertainment units
• Hall tables, display cabinets, sideboards or buffets, with a height of 686 mm or more

However, a piece of furniture is not defined as toppling furniture if it is designed to be affixed to a wall or structure, and it cannot be used properly unless it is affixed.

The standard sets requirements for:

a. Warnings at point of sale – The requirements are different if you sell the warning online or in a store

b. Warnings and safety information on furniture, which includes:

• Warnings and safety information to be affixed to the product
• Warnings and safety information that must be provided with the instructions

Bean Bags

This section outlines requirements for bean bags sold in Australia.

Consumer Goods (Bean Bags) Safety Standard 2014

This standard sets the following requirements for bean bags, their covers, and retail packages containing bean bag filling:

• Warning message requirements
• Child resistance requirements

Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standards) Regulations 1979

This standard sets the following requirements for bean bags, bean bag covers and packages containing bean bag filling, among other products:

• Warning requirements
• Warrant requirements

Bunk Beds

The Trade Practices Act 1974 – Consumer Protection Notice No. 1 of 2003 – Consumer Product Safety Standard: Bunk Beds sets requirements for bunk beds supplied as an item of furniture or part of an item of furniture.

This does not include:

• Portable bunk beds designed for camping
• Bunk beds that are built-in fitments in caravans, camper trailers, tent trailers, camper vans, motor homes, trains, ships, aircraft and other types of conveyances

In particular, covered products must comply with the requirements of the standards Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4220:1994, Bunk beds, and the variations to the standard listed in Division 3: Variations.

Textile Furniture Labelling

The Consumer Goods (Care Labelling) Information Standard 2023 sets care labelling requirements for the goods listed under “6 Regulated goods”, which include:

• Furnishings
• Upholstered furniture
• Bedding (including sleeping bags)
• Mattresses
• Bed bases
• Piece goods and yarns made from several materials

However, the products listed under “7 Exempt goods” are not covered by the standard. Here are some examples:

• Non‑upholstered furniture
• Some types of cushions and cushion covers
• Window blinds

Specifically, covered products must comply with the requirements set by:

a. The requirements listed in section 11 (the Australian/New Zealand Standard)

b. The standard ISO 3758:2012 Textiles—Care labelling code using symbol

Furniture Checklist

✅ Identify mandatory product safety standards

✅ Identify referenced AS/NZS standards (or other standards)

✅ Implement requirements into your furniture design files

• Adjust the design to comply with the mechanical requirements
• Adjust the design to comply with stability requirements
• Use compliant materials
• Create product marking files
• Create product warning files
• Create packaging warning files
• Create instructions

✅ Arrange third-party testing to verify compliance with the following safety aspects:

• Mechanical safety
• Stability
• Small parts
• Flammability
• Warnings