Manufacturing & Engineering UK-wide

Furniture manufacturer: compliance checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your furniture manufacturing business (SIC division 31) meets its obligations before you sell. Work through the universal workplace items every manufacturer shares, then the furniture fire-safety and product-safety items. If you answer no to any item, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Guide summary

Check your furniture manufacturing business meets all health and safety, fire-safety and product-safety rules before you sell. You must complete risk assessments, control wood dust, safeguard machinery, and hold employers' liability insurance. For upholstered furniture, ensure it passes fire ignition tests and carries the correct labels. Follow the linked guides if you answer 'no' to any item.

  • Write risk assessments and put safe systems in place
  • Control wood dust and finishing chemicals under COSHH
  • Safeguard, maintain and inspect machinery under PUWER
  • Assess manual handling and do a fire risk assessment
  • Hold employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million
  • Comply with Equality Act 2010 and UK GDPR (register with ICO)
  • Ensure upholstered furniture meets fire-safety regulations (ignition tests)
  • Carry permanent and display labels on upholstered furniture
  • Ensure other furniture meets General Product Safety Regulations 2005
  • Follow linked guides if you answer 'no' to any item
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Related guides in Health & Safety

Use this checklist to confirm your furniture manufacturing business meets its obligations before you sell. Work through each item and answer yes or no. If you answer no, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. The furniture fire-safety and general-product-safety regimes are Great Britain regimes, enforced by Trading Standards (with the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for product safety). If you supply Northern Ireland, check the position separately. Each section names the body that applies.

Section 1 — Every furniture manufacturer (factory and people)

These workplace and employment duties apply to every manufacturer, whatever you make. Confirm each one.

  1. 1

    Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place?

    Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your people. Risk-assess woodworking machinery, sanding, finishing and handling, and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe furniture factory".

  2. 2

    Have you assessed and controlled wood dust and finishing chemicals?

    COSHH requires control of hardwood and softwood dust (a carcinogen and asthmagen) and the solvents, isocyanates and adhesives in finishing, with local exhaust ventilation on saws and sanders and health surveillance where required.

  3. 3

    Is your machinery safeguarded, maintained and inspected under PUWER?

    Saws, planers, spindle moulders and sanders must be guarded and braked, maintained and safely isolated for setting and maintenance under PUWER.

  4. 4

    Have you assessed manual handling and carried out your fire risk assessment?

    Reduce hazardous handling of timber, boards and finished furniture. Assess fire risk from wood, dust, foams and solvents under the fire-safety regime for your nation.

  5. 5

    Do you hold employers' liability insurance and meet your equality and data duties?

    Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone. Do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the ECNI). Comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Furniture fire-safety and product-safety rules

Confirm the product rules for what you make. These are Great Britain regimes. Check Northern Ireland separately if you supply there.

  1. 1

    Does your upholstered furniture and mattresses meet the fire-safety regulations?

    Upholstered domestic furniture, mattresses, bed bases, cushions, pillows and loose covers must meet the ignition-resistance standards in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, pass the cigarette and match ignition tests, and carry the permanent and display labels. If not, follow "Meet the furniture fire-safety and product-safety rules".

  2. 2

    Does other furniture meet the general product safety duty?

    Furniture outside the fire-safety regime — rigid wooden, kitchen and office furniture — must still be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, enforced by OPSS and Trading Standards.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item before you sell. The two task guides — the safe-factory spine and the furniture fire-safety and product-safety rules — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety and furniture product-safety guidance.