EN 12521:2023/FprA1

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 is a CEN draft amendment to EN 12521:2023, the European standard for furniture - safety, strength and durability - requirements for domestic tables. It updates the rules for tables intended for adult domestic use, mainly by clarifying shear and compression hazards, finger-entrapment testing, test reporting, and the rationale behind selected test methods.

What does EN 12521:2023/FprA1 specify?

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 modifies the requirements for domestic tables covered by EN 12521:2023. The underlying standard sets minimum safety, strength and durability requirements for all types of domestic tables intended for use by adults, including tables with glass in their construction.

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 does not change the core scope of the base standard. That scope excludes office tables and office desks, tables for non-domestic use, tables for educational institutions, outdoor tables for which European Standards exist, and trestle tables. It also leaves storage-feature suitability outside the assessment except for stability tests, and it does not cover electrical safety or resistance to ageing and degradation.

The amendment is organized as targeted changes to Clause 3, Clause 5, Clause 7, Annex A and Annex C.

What are the key requirements of EN 12521:2023/FprA1?

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 mainly tightens how hazards at moving parts and openings are described and tested. It also updates what has to be reported from tests, so the results are easier to trace and compare.

Hazard terms and locations

Clause 3 adds definitions for shear point and compression point. A shear point is where moving parts pass by each other and can cut an object in their path, while a compression point is where moving surfaces come together without crossing and reduce the gap between them. In practice, this tells designers and test labs exactly which contact locations the later clauses are addressing.

Clause 5.2 now ties the hole requirement in tubular or rigid components to accessible parts. That matters because openings in reachable parts are the ones that can present a user hazard.

Clause 5.3.2 links the setup-and-folding requirement to the new shear and compression definitions. This makes the hazard check more precise for folding tables and similar moving constructions.

Hazards during powered movement and use

Clause 5.3.3 removes the previous sentence that tied the requirement for powered mechanisms to a specific A.2.2 test outcome. This means the amended text no longer uses that deleted pass-fail wording for powered movement hazards.

Clause 5.3.4 replaces the representative tests for shear and compression points during use. It points to a vertical static load on the main surface using 60% of the Table 2 Test 2 force, applied no more than 200 mm from the edge, and to a horizontal durability test using the Table 2 Test 5 force, with or without the specified mass. In practice, the test now reflects a more realistic load position and loading condition.

Test reporting and annex changes

Clause 7 adds a report item for the forces applied when the test method specifies them. That helps buyers, labs and manufacturers see exactly which loading conditions were used.

Annex A keeps the finger-entrapment method and updates its wording and flow. The 7 mm test probe and the 10 mm entry criterion remain the key decision points: if the probe does not enter, or enters less than 10 mm, no hazard is present. Annex A.2 is deleted, so the annex no longer carries the separate shear and compression method.

Annex C adds rationale for excluding trestle tables and for using 60% of the static test force in the vertical load test for shear and compression points. That gives context for why the amendment uses that reduced force level.

What terms does EN 12521:2023/FprA1 define?

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 adds two formal definitions and uses several key technical terms in the amended requirements.

• Shear point - a location where two moving parts pass by each other and can cut an object caught between them.
• Compression point - a location where two surfaces move against each other without crossing and reduce the gap between them.
• Finger entrapment - a hazard checked in Annex A by means of the 7 mm probe and the entry-depth rule.
• Powered mechanisms - table mechanisms moved by power, which are treated separately in the hazard clauses.
• Test report - the record that now has to state applied forces when the test method specifies them.

Who uses EN 12521:2023/FprA1?

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 is used by furniture manufacturers, product designers, test laboratories, quality managers, and buyers who specify domestic tables. It is particularly relevant for adult-use tables with glass, folding mechanisms, holes in components, or other moving parts where entrapment, shear, or compression hazards have to be checked.

What changed in EN 12521:2023/FprA1 from the previous edition?

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 modifies EN 12521:2023. The amendment adds the terms shear point and compression point, revises wording in Clause 5.2, updates the shear and compression clauses in 5.3, adds a test-report item for applied forces, revises Annex A's finger-entrapment text and process flow, deletes Annex A.2, and expands Annex C with rationale for trestle tables and the reduced static force.

What does the EN 12521:2023/FprA1 document contain?

EN 12521:2023/FprA1 is a clause-by-clause amendment, not a full reissue of the base standard. It contains targeted modifications to the terms and definitions clause, the hazard clauses in Clause 5, the test-report clause, Annex A, and Annex C.

The annex material includes a finger-entrapment test procedure with probe details and a process flow table, plus a rationale section that explains selected design and test choices. The document is intended for use when updating the base standard and when applying or reporting the affected tests for domestic tables.