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FURNITURE AND FITTINGS
GECA
28-2006 Standard (PDF) |
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Workspace Commercial
Furniture Pty Ltd
Workspace
offers a selection of commercial certified
furniture. |
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Product Marketing Name:
Workspace Use and Application: Furniture
Date of Certification: 12
June 2008
1.
Description of the
Technology.
Workspace Commercial Furniture Pty
Ltd provide the Track System and Tempo Range products to
the Australian market. These products are high quality
and reduce environmental impact from the production of
raw material to the production of the finished products.
Workspace Commercial Furniture was
originally established in Adelaide and has a legacy that
goes back close to 100 years within the Australian
furniture industry.
The production facility of Workspace
is located in Adelaide. The company has sales offices in
Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide. The company
employs around 150 employees in total.
2. The Products
Track System: Track is the result of
a rigorous development process, achieving its primary
objective of structural strength and rigidity with
aesthetics and style. Track is an environmentally
responsible choice which gives any workstation
environment a high level of style and functionality.
Tempo Chair Range: The Tempo chair
offers multiple points of adjustment, so that
practically everyone who tries it quickly finds it
totally comfortable for their individual needs. All
this, in an environmentally preferred chair with
European aesthetics and style, and the Workspace
unconditional ten year warranty.
Core Environmental Criteria Tested:
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Environmental Requirements |
Core Environmental Performance Characteristics |
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3.1 Fitness for Purpose |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
manufactures a range of furniture products. The company has
applied for the GECA certification of their custom office
furniture products. GECA has reviewed evidence of internal
Fitness for Purpose testing during production. Quality assurance
at the manufacturing site is documented, with visual checks
being undertaken at various stages throughout the manufacturing
process. This has been confirmed during an assessment of
Workspace Commercial Furniture’s manufacturing site in
Adelaide by a registered GECS auditor. The nominated product
ranges carry a 10 year warranty.
GECS is confident that the products under assessment are of a
high quality and fit for their intended purpose. |
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3.2 Material Requirements |
This criterion refers to ‘Controversial
Sources’ of Timber and Other Natural Materials section of the
GECA 28-2006 Furniture and Fittings Standard. The criterion does
not apply to the Tempo Chair range products of Workspace
Commercial Furniture and relates only to the Track System range
of the company’s products which use panel products for
tabletops and partitions as required. For this product range,
Workspace Commercial Furniture uses only Laminex Melamine E1
which is appropriately edged and Standard laminex Particleboard
(EO) and MDF (E1) from Laminex. Both these timber sources are
GECA Certified as part of an independent assessment of Laminex
products. An audit of the Workspace Commercial Furniture’s
manufacturing site by GECS has confirmed the capacity of the
company to use these timber supplies. The company has confirmed
that future use of panel board will be limited to these boards.
GECS is confident that the Track System range nominated product
lines comply to this criterion. |
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3.2.1.3 Treatment |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
does not use treated timbers for its Tempo Chair range of
products. The Track system product is manufactured with Laminex
and Laminex Formica GECA certified timber boards. These panel
boards are certified as part of a separate assessment, and hence
are compliant with all the requirements of the GECA Furniture
and Fittings Standard.
GECS is confident that the Track System range nominated product
lines comply with this criterion |
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3.2.1.5 Air Emissions |
Workspace Commercial Furniture’s
custom product range is manufactured with Laminex and Laminex
Formica GECA certified timber boards. These products are
certified as part of a separate assessment, and hence are
compliant with all the requirements of the GECA Furniture and
Fittings Standard.
The Workspace Commercial Furniture products range, meets the
requirements of this criterion. |
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3.2.2 Plastics 3.2.2.1 Resin
Identification Codes |
The sole plastic component used in
the Track System is the ABS edge strip, which is exempt from the
requirements of this criterion. This has been confirmed by
Workspace Commercial Furniture and is verified by GECS during
site assessment. An MSDS for this ABS edge strip has been
received by GECS, and has been assessed under the requirements
of 3.3 Hazardous Substances.
The Tempo Chair is composed of a number of plastic parts, in
particular the base and back plastic components. All plastics
over 100gr in weight have been checked for compliance to this
criterion and exhibit the appropriate plastic resin code. This
has been confirmed at site assessment.
The Workspace Commercial Furniture Track System range of
products does not use Acrylic panels. The Track System range of
products use only metal or wood (EO) panels.
The Workspace Commercial Furniture range of products subject of
this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion |
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3.2.2.3 Polyurethane padding
requirements |
The Tempo Chair contains
Endurofoam sourced from Dunlop. This foam was discovered to be
EN38 200 grade or EN 36-80 Grade. These product lines have
previously been assessed for compliance to the requirements of
the GECA label and currently hold licence GECA DUN-2008. The
padding used is therefore compliant. |
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3.2.3 Fabrics |
The products under assessment has
been assessed as white furniture and do not contain any fabric.
This has been confirmed during site assessment via a review of
all the various components during manufacturing, as well as
through an inspection of the finished products that have been
certified.
If the nominated product range is seeking to gain full GreenStar
points by the Green Building Council of Australia then a fully
certified and upholstered chair needs to be delivered to the
client under this licence. The capacity of Workspace Commercial
Furniture to source GECA or overseas ecolabel certified textiles
has been established. The limitation is listed on the GECA
licence and for such projects suitable evidence of GECA
certified textile used will need to be provided in addition to
the GECA licence for GreenStar submissions.
The Workspace Commercial Furniture range of products subject of
this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion |
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3.2.5 Adhesives |
Material Safety Data Sheets have
been received for all adhesives used and have been reviewed by
GECS.
Track System:
The ABS Edgeband is adhered using a specialty water-based
hot-melt adhesive for edgebanding. Small amounts of PVA glue are
used elsewhere in the products. This PVA Glue 3100 is
water-based polyvinyl acetate. Exemption is provided in this
standard for edgeband adhesives which are typically solvent or
hot melt based systems in Australia.
Task Chair:
Workspace Commercial Furniture uses water-based adhesive that is
non-hazardous ingredient to bind the textile and the padding to
the chair base. The adhesive is previously known to GECS and is
widely used in the industry and is compliant to the requirements
of this criterion. |
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3.3 Hazardous Materials |
In order to establish compliance
to this criterion, GECS has reviewed MSDS for all ingredients
used in the manufacturing of the products under assessment, and
has conducted a physical inspection during the site assessment
for all of the ingredients in the products.
The Track system is powder-coated with a Dulux product. This
coating meets the requirements of this criterion. Biological
cleaning of the products is carried out prior to powder coating,
the wastewater from which is re-cycled and reused. The second
stage of cleaning is by washing in water. The waste-water is
appropriately disposed of. A statement form the supplier to
support this was obtained by Workspace Commercial Furniture and
reviewed by GECS.
In addition, an MSDS for the ABS edestrip, all adhesives and any
cleaning agents used during manufacturing have been reviewed by
GECS and do meet the requirements of this criterion. Finally,
GECS has received a signed declaration from the Product
Development manager of Workspace Commercial Furniture Pty Ltd
confirming compliance with 3.3 Hazardous Substances criterion of
the GECA Furniture and Fittings Standard. Any products that use
chrome finishes are not included as part of the GECA
certification.
The Workspace Commercial Furniture range of products subject of
this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion |
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3.3.2 Prohibited Substances |
None of the certified products
contain any of the prohibited substances listed under this
criterion; a statement confirming this has been received from
Workspace Commercial Furniture and a site inspection has
confirmed the validity of this statement.
Following a review of all MSDS for all chemical ingredients and
materials, GECS is confident that none of the prohibited
substances listed under this criterion is used in the products
under assessment. |
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3.4.1 Separability |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
products covered under this assessment are compliant with this
criterion. They products are mechanically fixed using cam locks,
nuts and bolts and can be easily disassembled.. This has been
verified during Site Assessment and inspection of the finished
products. All products are easily broken down into component
materials as required by this criterion. |
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3.4.2 Product Custodianship |
Workspace Commercial Furniture has
a product custodianship policy in place. Recycling areas and a
Waste Management Instruction were sighted to support the
capacity Workspace Commercial Furniture to recycle or re-use the
returned materials. The waste company has also provided a
statement that the returned materials are recycled. The
Workspace Commercial Furniture range of products subject of this
report, do meet the requirements of this criterion. |
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3.4.3 Coatings/ Treatments |
Apart from the powder-coating and
painting applied to some products, which are exempt from this
criterion, there is not any coating or treatment applied to the
Workspace Commercial Furniture products that will prevent post
consumer recycling. The Workspace Commercial Furniture range of
products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of
this criterion. |
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3.4.4 Replacement Parts |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
provide a 10 year warranty covering replacement parts, this
satisfies the requirements of this criterion. |
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3.4.7 Packaging Requirements |
Workspace Commercial Furniture use
blankets to cover the products upon transportation, which are
re-used. The polyethylene bag that encloses the individual
chairs was determined not to be chlorinated or halogenated
plastics. |
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3.4.8 Product Information |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
have provided GECS with a copy of the swing tag and the sticker
detailing maintenance instructions attached to the furniture.
Information on recycling has been included with the products.
This information is provided to the consumer at point of sale.
GECS is confident sufficient product information is supplied to
consumers along with the products under assessment. |
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4.0 Compliance to Environmental
Regulations |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
have informed GECS that no permits are required for their
operations. The factory has a current license to store flammable
materials. Workspace Commercial Furniture has not been
prosecuted and found guilty in an environmental court of law and
a statement to this affect has been provided. In addition a
compliance record indicates that all applicable legal and other
requirements are compliant. The environmental audit did not find
any issues related to the products under consideration. Finally,
GECS conducted an audit of the Workspace Commercial Furniture
manufacturing site in order to establish compliance with the
requirements of this criterion. |
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5.0 Compliance to Labour, Anti-
Discrimination and Safety Regulations |
Workspace Commercial Furniture
employ approximately 150 staff, all are paid award wages or
above, and are appropriately insured. There have been no
incidents in relation to the above criterion.
GECS has been provided with Workers Compensation, a pay slip, a
sample employment letter, the relevant industrial award, the
Occupational Health and Safety and Welfare Policy, selected
extracts from the Employees hand book and Occupational Health
and Safety Minutes. These provide evidence that payment in
accordance to the award, a safety management system is in place
and evidence that a system to ensure compliance to racial and
sex discrimination requirements is in place as well as a
statement to support this. Finally, GECS conducted an audit of
the Workspace Commercial Furniture manufacturing site in order
to establish compliance with the requirements of this criterion. |
 View
Workspace EPD
3. Environmental and Social Regulatory Obligations:
GECA also found the Workspace range to
be fully compliant with their obligations under Labour,
Anti-Discrimination, and Safety Regulations. The company
has not been the subject of prosecution in relation to
compliance with labour, anti- discrimination, safety
regulations and environmental regulations.
Additional Information
Good Environmental Choice Australia
recommends these products to green purchasing officers,
specifiers, and every day Australians seeking to
purchase products and services on the basis of
functional and overall environmental and human health
performance.
For more information contact Workspace
directly:
Workspace
Commercial Furniture Pty Ltd
Address: 54 Jose St. Melrose Park, Adelaide, SA 5039
Ph: +61 (08) 8276 9288
Fax: +61 (08) 837 42974
Web: www.workspace.com.au
E-mail: enquiries@workspace.com.au
You can go to the company's web site here:
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