GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn. (BIFMA) announced formal American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approval and release of the following two standards for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from office furniture: ANSI/BIFMA M7.1-2007 - Standard Test Method for Determining VOC Emissions from Office Furniture Systems, Components and Seating; and ANSI/BIFMA X7.1-2007 - Standard for Formaldehyde and TVOC Emissions of Low-emitting Office Furniture Systems and Seating

These voluntary national standards provide manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a basis for characterizing the initial release of various airborne chemicals emitted from a furniture workstation and seating. 

"Receiving formal ANSI approval of these standards is the combination of years of development, research and consensus building effort," said Thomas Reardon, BIFMA's executive director. "ANSI approval ensures that a broad and diverse group of stakeholders have had the opportunity to participate in the development and their comments have been appropriately addressed."

The standards have been adopted by the U.S. Green Building Council as part of the LEED for Commercial Interiors rating system, the Scientific Certification Systems Indoor Advantage program, the NSF International indoor air quality certification program and partially adopted by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.

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