In recent years, children's furniture has become a growing concern for parents due to its unique characteristics as a household product. Since the implementation of the "General Technical Conditions for Children's Furniture" (commonly known as the "New National Standard") on August 1, 2012, this sector now operates under specific standards that differ from those for adult furniture. Despite these regulations, numerous issues have been exposed by regulatory authorities, including excessive formaldehyde emissions, violations of harmful substance limits, lack of proper warning labels, and structural safety hazards. These problems have raised serious concerns about the environmental safety and overall well-being of children.
Formaldehyde emission in children's furniture has emerged as a particularly problematic area. In 2013, Guangdong Province conducted regular quality inspections on wood furniture products, and several well-known children’s furniture brands such as "Growth Fairy Tale," "Happy House," "Angel Dream," and "Yi Cai Jia Ju" ended up on the quality black list due to exceeding formaldehyde emission standards. According to the requirements of the "General Technical Conditions for Children's Furniture" and GB18584-2001, the formaldehyde emission limit for wooden furniture in children’s furniture should not exceed 1.5 mg/L.
Fang Chongrong, deputy director of the Forest Products Quality Inspection and Testing Center under the State Forestry Administration, explained that formaldehyde emissions are not only influenced by whether the furniture is made from solid wood or artificial boards but also depend heavily on the manufacturer’s production techniques and processing methods. Poor edge sealing can lead to formaldehyde leakage, while the use of low-quality adhesives to cut costs can significantly increase emissions.
Children are more vulnerable to indoor air pollution than adults, and cases of health issues caused by formaldehyde exposure from furniture have become increasingly common. When excessive formaldehyde emissions shift from being an isolated incident to a serious threat to children’s physical and mental health, it is high time for manufacturers to take this issue seriously.
Despite the implementation of the new national standard over a year ago, the results have been disappointing. As of December 2013, the Shaanxi Provincial Quality Supervision Bureau had already exposed multiple batches of non-compliant products, and the Guangdong Provincial Quality Supervision Bureau found that 64.4% of randomly inspected children’s furniture products from 42 companies failed to meet the required standards. Similarly, the Shanghai Municipal Industry and Commerce Bureau reported failures in 13 batches of children’s furniture during random inspections.
Zhu Changling, chairman of the China Furniture Association, expressed concerns about the poor enforcement of the new national standard. He pointed out that while there are challenges in publicizing and monitoring the standards, the main issue lies in the manufacturers’ willingness to comply. Some companies have resisted the changes, as they were previously producing children’s furniture based on adult furniture standards, with established production processes and designs.
Sun Shudong, assistant director of the National Furniture and Indoor Environmental Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, noted that some manufacturers are not fully committed to implementing the new standards. He emphasized that the poor implementation is largely due to the subjective attitude of the companies themselves. Additionally, some industry insiders believe that the low cost of violating the standards contributes to the lack of compliance.
Zhu Changling also criticized some businesses for using the difficulty of producing rounded-edge furniture as an excuse to avoid following the new standard. He argued that this reasoning is unreasonable and urged manufacturers to make necessary adjustments during the design phase. While the current national standard may not cover all potential safety issues, it is up to the companies to think ahead and ensure greater safety for children.
In conclusion, while the new national standards aim to improve the safety and quality of children’s furniture, their effective implementation remains a challenge. Regulatory authorities must continue to strengthen oversight, and manufacturers need to take responsibility to ensure that the products they produce are safe and environmentally friendly for children.
Knife Section, Knife Section Combine Parts, Harvester Knife Section, Combine Knife Section
NINGBO BORINE MACHINERY CO.,LTD , https://www.borine-agroparts.com