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FURNITURE AND FITTINGS

GECA 28-2006 Standard (PDF)

Direct Ergonomics Pty Ltd

Direct Ergonomics are an Australian manufacturer of high quality commercial environmentally preferable furniture.

Product Marketing Name: Direct Ergonomics

Use and Application: Furniture

Date of Certification: 10 September 2008

1. Description of the Technology.

Direct Ergonomics Pty Ltd provides a range of chairs, meeting tables and workstations 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.

Direct Ergonomics is a privately owned family business which has been in operation since 1986.

Direct Ergonomics head office and factory is located at Smithfield, NSW. The company operates on a 3500 square metres of factory, warehouse, showroom and offices running over 4 buildings.

Direct Ergonomics Pty Ltd employs 22 full time staff, 15 in the factory and 7 in the Office.

2. The Products

Task Chairs: Ezone, Genni and Uno
Exec Chairs: Genni Executive
Visitor Chairs: Rodney, Abbey, Tidy and Stax
Meeting Tables: Flexi, Echo, Jazz, Metro and Enviro, Roma
Workstations: Freestanding, Enviro

Ezone Task Chair: Fully ergonomic medium and high back task chair. Features up to 6 points of adjustment all performed effortlessly from seated position. Memory foam. Generous size seat and back. Adjustable lumbar support. Options include height adjustable arms, fully upholstered back.

Genni Task Chair: Fully ergonomic medium and high back task chair. Features up to 6 points of adjustment and dual density, memory foam.

Uno Task Chair: Fully ergonomic task chair with up to 6 points of adjustment. High and medium back.

Exec Chairs: Fully ergonomic medium and high back Executive chair. Optional fully ergonomic mechanism or synchronised mechanism. Up to 6 points of adjustment.

Rodney Visitor Chair: Visitor / Training Room Chair – stackable, sled base.

Abbey Visitor Chair: Visitor Chair available in 4 legs, sled base. Is stackable in 4 legs. Available with arms.

Tidy Visitor Chair: Stylish, stackable sled base visitor or meeting room chair.

Stax Visitor Chair: Visitor / Training room chairs: Available in 4 leg and sled base, with and without arms. Options : stacking

Flexi Meeting Table: Flexi Meeting/Training Tables have the ability to flip the top for ease of storing. Mobile. Choice of sizes.

Echo Meeting Table: Eco 25mm square metal frame tables. Standard black p/c finish with grey top. Standard sizes 1800x900; 1600x800; 1500x750; 1200x600. Other sizes and colours available.

Jazz Meeting Table: 60mm round square legs, metal frame table. Black p/c finish with grey top. Standard sizes 1800x900; 1600x800; 1500x750; 1200x600. Other sizes and colours available.

Metro Meeting Table: 33 mm square legs, metal frame table. Finishes: black p/c finish with grey top. Standard sizes 1800x900; 1600x800; 1500x750; 1200x600. Other sizes and colours available.

Enviro Meeting Table: Aluminum frame workstations, 40mm square legs. Various sizes available including 1800x900, 1600x800, 1500x750 and 1200x600. Options include cable trunks, modesties and privacy screens that can hung off the desk / frame.

Roma Meeting Table: 50mm square leg, metal frame table. Standard black p/c finishes with grey top. Standard sizes 1800x900; 1600x800; 1500x750; 1200x600. Optional modesty if being used as Desk. Other sizes and colours available.

Freestanding Workstation: Australian Made. Available in large range of sizes including 1800x1800; 2100 x 2100, with straight or curved ends, colours and slab ends or metal legs.

Enviro Workstation: Australian Made. Available in large range of sizes including 1800x1800; 2100 x 2100, with straight or curved ends. , colours and slab ends or metal legs.

Core Environmental Criteria Tested:

Environmental Requirements	Core Environmental Performance Characteristics
3.1 Fitness for Purpose	Direct Ergonomics manufactures a range of furniture products. The company has supplied a number of evidences that demonstrate the fitness for purpose of the products covered by this assessment. These include; AS/NZS ISO 9002:1994 certificate for the quality assurance of their manufacturing process under assessment and AFRDI certificates for the product range shown below: Product Certificate No Work Zone Desk 7264/1 Work Zone Post System 7264/2 Work Zone Screen System 7264/3 Uno Ergo Task Chair 7133/1 E Zone Task Chair 7489/1 B Corp Task Chair 7217/1 Genni Chair 6365/2 Direct Ergonomics have provided a letter describing the 10 year warranty that they provide for all the products covered under this assessment. The Letter outlines the conditions of the warranty in terms of what parts are covered by warranty and those that are excluded. GECS is confident that the products under assessment are of a high quality and fit for their intended purpose.
3.2 Material Requirements	Direct Ergonomics source EO Laminex board directly from Laminex Group for the manufacturing of their workstations. Delivery dockets and a copy of a database registry for EO Laminex delivery of products to Direct Ergonomics have been supplied to GECS as evidence. EO Laminex board is currently certified by GECA. Direct Ergonomics sources plywood from a supplier which sources its wood from locally grown sustainable forest industries that have AS4708-2003 certification. A compliance report compiled by NCSI International has been supplied to GECS from the supplier which has confirmed the source of the local forestry industry as compliant to the Australian Forestry Standard AS4708-2003. GECS is confident that the Direct Ergonomics range nominated product lines comply with this criterion.
3.2.1.3 Treatment	Direct Ergonomics source EO Laminex board directly from Laminex Group. Delivery dockets and a copy of a database registry for EO laminex delivery of products to Direct Ergonomics have been supplied to GECS as evidence. EO Laminex board is currently certified by GECA. No treatment is applied to this product. GECS is confident that the Direct Ergonomics range nominated product lines comply with this criterion.
3.2.1.4 Glues in Plywood and Laminated Wood & 3.2.1.5 Air Emissions	Direct Ergonomics source EO Laminex board directly from Laminex Group. Delivery dockets and a copy of a database registry for EO Laminex delivery of products to Direct Ergonomics have been supplied to GECS as evidence. EO Laminex board is currently certified by GECA. Direct Ergonomics source Formaldehyde free Plywood which is produced with the use of a water-based adhesive. Direct Ergonomics has supplied MSDS for the adhesive and a letter stating the use of a waterbased adhesive in their plywood for the products covered under this assessment. The letter states that the wood is free from formaldehyde glue. This has also been supplied to GECS. GECS is confident that the Direct Ergonomics range nominated product lines comply with this criterion.
3.2.2 Plastics 3.2.2.1 Resin Identification Codes	A site assessment has revealed the use of various plastics used to make the products under assessment. Polypropylene is the most common plastic utilised to manufacture the furniture under assessment. A resin code is displayed as a numeral 5 sticker and will be visible to the end recycler. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion
3.2.2.2 Padding Materials	The site audit of the manufacturing plant conducted as part of this assessment has confirmed that there is no latex in the products under assessment
3.2.2.3 Polyurethane Padding Requirements	The foam used to manufacture the Direct Ergonomics furniture is sourced from suppliers that are currently certified by GECA. The source of foam was verified by a site assessment and delivery dockets were supplied to GECS. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion
3.2.3 Fabrics	Direct Ergonomic source GECA certified fabric. The furniture is sold as white furniture. A site assessment has confirmed the source of fabrics and white furniture arrangement with clients. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion
3.2.5 Adhesives	The glues used to manufacture the furniture range are water based. A site assessment has verified the use of the water based glues and MSDSs supplied for the glues have been identified to comply with the requirements of this criterion. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.
3.3 Hazardous Materials	A site assessment and review of all MSDS’s for chemicals used to manufacture the products under assessment, has not revealed any of the above ingredients. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.
3.3.2 Prohibited Substances	A site assessment and review of all MSDS’s for chemicals used to manufacture the products under assessment, has not revealed any of the prohibited ingredients that are prohibited under Section 3.3.3 of the GECA 28 -2006 Furniture and Fittings Standard. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.
3.4.1 Separability	A site assessment to inspect the manufacturing process and inspection of the products under assessment has revealed no barrier to disassembly of the products in compliance to this criterion.
3.4.2 Product Custodianship	Direct Ergonomics have a recycling services agreement with external contractors where all plastics, cardboard, steel and aluminium are removed from site for recycling. A document outlining the terms and conditions of this agreement have been supplied to GECS for assessment. A site assessment has revealed the use of waste material compactors for ease of disposal to all products recycling. The company has also developed a product take back policy for their furniture. Direct Ergonomics has supplied documentation explaining the terms and conditions of this policy. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.
3.4.3 Coatings/Trea tments	A site assessment has not revealed any coatings or treatments to interfere with the post consumer recycling of the products under assessment. The ingredients lists supplied and ease of disassembly of the product has been sufficient evidence to meet this criterion. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.
3.4.5 Recycled Furniture	Direct Ergonomics products under assessment contain no recycled furniture.
3.4.7 Packaging Requirements	Direct Ergonomics use polyethylene plastic bags and hessian bags to package their chairs. An MSDS has been sent for the polyethylene and a site assessment has revealed the use of hessian bags. The polyethylene bags accompany a resin code. Direct Ergonomics are currently phasing out the use of plastic bags for packaging.
3.4.8 Product Information	Direct Ergonomics has supplied GECS a sticker which is placed on the chairs when sold to the customer. This sticker outlines all the product information mentioned in this criterion. A site assessment to verify the use of the sticker has been identified.
4.0 Compliance to Environmental Regulations	Direct Ergonomics currently have an Environmental Management System developed by Cetec which outlines the strategies to minimise waste, lower energy use, reduce emissions and minimise the use of materials to minimise waste accumulation. Direct Ergonomics has supplied to GECS a signed declaration from the Director that the company has not been prosecuted under environmental law within the last 24 months. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.
5.0 Compliance to Labour, Anti- Discrimination and Safety Regulations	Direct Ergonomics has supplied GECS a signed declaration by the Director stating that the company has not been prosecuted under O&HS regulations within the last 24 months. A Workers insurance policy from Employers Mutual has been supplied to GECS for Work cover industry insurance for Direct Ergonomics. A payslip from the lowest paid employer has been supplied to GECS and indicates above award wages. A contract agreement has been supplied to GECS outlining the terms and conditions of employment with Direct Ergonomics. The Direct Ergonomics range of products subject of this report, do meet the requirements of this criterion.

View Direct Ergonomics EPD

3. Environmental and Social Regulatory Obligations:

GECA also found the Direct Ergonomics 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 Direct Ergonomics directly:

Direct Ergonomics Pty Ltd

Address: Unit 2, 9 Hume Road Smithfield, NSW 2164
Ph: +61 (02) 9609 7811
Fax: +61 (02) 9609 6933
Web: www.directergonomics.com.au

E-mail: Frank@denet.com.au

You can go to the company's web site here: