CFAS Winter 2020 Journal

THE
INTRODUCING
Flexi. Nexus. Sigma.
ABL is the only manufacturer to
hold a BSI kitemark on all of its
p o w e r m o d u l e s . O u r
Interchangeable Multimedia
Plates (IMP) system allows toolless
s w a p p i n g o f m u l t i m e d i a
connections.
www.cfas.uk | WINTER 2020
Est. 1987
ISSUE 99
IMPARTIAL
YOUR KEY
OUR PASSION
Sigma
monitor arm
Flexi
on desk
Nexus
under desk
www.abl-uk.com
Tel: 0845 388 7973 • Email: enquiries@cfas.uk • www.cfas.uk
www.cfas.uk | 1

Corsivo Sit-Stand Workstation
Transform your sedentary desk or dining room table into a dynamic sit-stand workstation
and add movement to your working day to stay active and healthy whilst working from home.
• Easily transition from sitting to standing
with gas spring height adjustment
• Two-tiered larger work surface can
accommodate flexible setup options, holding
two monitors or a monitor and a laptop
• Keep your phone or other accessories within
easy reach with the convenient device channel
• Easy set up – simply attach the optional
keyboard tray and you're ready to go
Find out more, contact Essential Workspaces
www.essentialworkspaces.co.uk
sales@essentialworkspaces.co.uk
2 | www.cfas.uk

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Happy New Year to all of our members, friends and colleagues.
We could say good riddance to 2020, but
actually, it has been a good year in one way. It
has shown the tenacity and go-getting attitude
of our industry. New products have been quickly
developed, manufactured and available to meet
covid-19 hygiene criteria. Existing products have
been adapted to provide end-users comfort and
safety, enabling future-proof cost savings as they
remain fully functional post-COVID-19. The speed
that products have come to market is astounding.
CFAS would like to applaud you all and say “Well
Done” we are proud to be servicing a proactive
and responsive industry sector.
This winter journal is full of interesting articles,
written about today’s challenges, providing
inspiration and information in equal measures. Not
only has 2021 started with a full lock-down across
the devolved countries within the UK, we also
started the year with a Brexit agreement. Every day
the media is full of both good and bad predictions
and sometimes there is even ‘news’ about how
Brexit is working out.
Transportation is a concern for many CFAS
members, whether that is importing materials
or selling to International clients. Albeit early
days, we have provided a short article together
with links and help guides.
This area is one which we will be expanding in
the Spring journal as we believe that there will be
substantiated information to share, plus we are
inviting members to write articles detailing their
challenges and solutions.
CFAS are very pleased to welcome UBI Ltd as
new Associates. UBI have been trading since
1997, and have grown to become one of the
largest office furniture installation companies in the
UK. We are looking forward to working with you
during 2021.
As always, we welcome your feedback, particularly
about the new acronym which we believe
illustrates the true home environment … LFH …
learning from home, read on to find out more.
Keep safe. Take care.
Alan Boyle, CFAS
EDITORIALS
CONTENTS
4
6
9
10
12
14
16
18
20
WFH or LFH May Well be the Future
BBC - Biggest Education Offer of All Time
No Leotard or Exercise Mat Required!
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
To Be or Not To Be
A Golden Age for the Designer and Manufacturer
Why Keyless Lockers are Becoming a Must Have
The New UKCA Mark – Are you ready?
Brexit, Transport, Fuel – A Multitude of Facts
4
17
22
Home Working
Industry News and Services
Product News
The information in this journal is supplied in good faith but its accuracy is not guaranteed and no warranty or
representation is made in that regard. Inclusion in the CFAS journal does not necessarily represent a CFAS recommendation.
www.cfas.uk | 3

Home Working
We all know the acronym WFH now, as it has been
the way of life for hundreds of thousands of people
since March 2020.
CFAS has been looking into the needs of all home office users, and there is new acronym we
would like to put out there – LFH - learning from home.
All statutory and higher education in the classroom
ceased in March (except for children of key workers).
Schools went back in a form, but have been closed
again in the strict 3rd shutdown. Universities have
never fully gone back to full attendance, with many
courses being run partially or fully online. Within this
journal we look at the WFH and LFH challenges and
how our industry has come up with solutions.
office pod situated inside your garage. Take a look
at this and many other interesting articles within this
issue.
Enjoy WFH or LFH as this may well be the future,
even post-COVID.
Garages tend to be full of garden and household
bric-a-brac rather than cars. For a large percentage of
households, even if they wanted to use the garage for
its original purpose, garage dimensions are no longer
suitable for cars. You may be able to drive in, but
opening your door to get out is a feat only Houdini
could manage. Garage conversions to create extra
living space are common, although you lose great
storage – what a clever idea to have a self-contained
ANDREWS OFFICE
FURNITURE
Tel: 0800 559 3917
sales@andrewsofficefurniture.com
www.andrewsofficefurniture.com
COMFORT
www.comfort.global
VIASIT
london@viasit.com
www.viasit.com
Andrews Office Furniture have 7
showrooms around London and
Northampton, they also have a busy
website. They always install your
furniture free of charge, and can deliver
throughout the UK.
They have a huge selection of furniture -
all available for next day delivery.
The perfect fusion of art and science go
into making the ergonomic chairs from
Comfort Seating UK.
They create better working
environments by providing the ultimate
in comfort and posture control with their
range of ergonomic chairs.
All Viasit Quick Ship Work Chairs
are Work@home Ready and Ready
to Deliver!
As the UK and most of Europe went
back into lockdown over Christmas
and there remains pandemonium at our
borders we wanted to confirm that our
complete Quick Ship range of chairs
suitable for home use, Kickster, Impulse
Too and Drumback are in stock and
available for immediate delivery.
4 | www.cfas.uk

NOVUS
TRA NSFORMING SPACES
Our workspaces are evolving
As well as providing the perfect zoning system in the workplace,
NOVUS from Frem is an ideal solution for a contemporary home office
frem.co.uk
info@frem.co.uk

Home Working
WFH & LFH
Working from
Home and
Learning from
Home
The BBC is helping re-address
the education discrimination
that some UK households are
facing, where schools have
been closed and teaching has
been moved online.
Research has shown that a total of 87
percent of households have an internet
connection, with 13 percent of homes still
not online.
About 9% of children in the UK – which is
between 1.1 million and 1.8 million – do not
have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at
home, according to Ofcom.
With the current pandemic in full swing,
it’s great to see the BBC’s commitment
and inclusion by moving some education
programmes to terrestrial TV. It’s the ‘biggest
education offer’ of all time, after pupils
across England were told to stay at home
until at least mid-February.
While teachers will continue to provide
online learning, parents will still have to
juggle both home-schooling and WFH,
however this great initiative will help
release parents from a few hours of homeschooling.
Whilst their children are LFH,
they can WFH.
More than 880,000 of these children live
in a household with only a mobile internet
connection.
6 | www.cfas.uk

Some of the topics being covered:
Home Working
Literacy and English 5 – 7 Year olds
How Plastic is damaging our environment 7 – 11
year olds
Remembering the Battle of the Somme 11-14 year
olds
Computer Science 11 – 14 year olds
Media Studies 14 – 16 year olds
BBC educational programmes on TV –
how to watch lessons on the BBC
Stuck at home studying over lockdown? Here’s
how to find the BBC’s educational programming.
With England now in the midst of its third
For primary school students, there will be a
three-hour block of shows broadcast every week
day on CBBC, from BBC Live Lessons and BBC
Bitesize Daily, to other educational titles like
Our School, Celebrity Supply Teacher, Horrible
Histories and Art Ninja.
While for secondary school students, BBC Two
will be airing at least two hours of content
related to the GCSE curriculum each weekday,
built around Bitesize Daily secondary shows,
Shakespeare adaptations and the BBC’s science,
history and factual titles.
When are BBC educational programmes on TV?
national lockdown, it hasn’t been the best start
to the year for students, whose return to school
has been delayed yet again.
Hoping to help is the BBC, which plans to air
several hours of educational programming
throughout the lockdown for both primary and
secondary school students on various channels.
From episodes of BBC Bitesize Daily to TV
adaptations of literary texts, BBC channels will
be providing daily content to help students of all
ages.
Here’s everything you need to know about the
lessons shown on the BBC, from which students
they’re aimed at, when they start and where to
find them.
What lessons are the BBC showing?
From next week onwards, the BBC will be
airing lesson programming for both primary
and secondary school students to “ensure all
children can access curriculum-based learning”
throughout the current COVID-19 lockdown.
The BBC channels begin airing educational
content for students stuck at home during the
pandemic from Monday 11th January, with
lesson programming airing each week day.
CBBC will offer three hours of primary school
programming from 9am.
What channel are BBC educational programmes on?
Educational content for primary school students
will air on the CBBC channel, while secondary
school students can tune into BBC Two for
GCSE-related programming.
Students of all ages will also find the Bitesize
Daily shows on BBC Red Button and on demand
on BBC iPlayer.
Aside from TV, students will be able to find many
resources online, with the BBC Bitesize website
offering structured lessons in Maths and English
for all primary year groups, as well as English and
Maths learning packs for Key Stage 3 and GCSE
help for Years 10 and 11.
By Lauren Morris
Wednesday, 6th January 2021 at 1:01 pm
Full article BBC lessons on TV | How to watch
education programmes in lockdown - Radio Times
www.cfas.uk | 7

Making Home
Offices Work
Create your perfect workspace...
8 | www.cfas.uk
sales@cmd-ltd.com | +44 (0)1709 829511 | www.cmd-ltd.com

Home Working
Introducing
CMD
Tel: 01709 829 511
sales@cmd-ltd.com
www.cmd-ltd.com/products/visionH
The ideal
solution for your
office – wherever
it may be located
www.panelplan.co.uk | sales@panelplan.co.uk
CMD Ltd’s Vision H on-desk monitor and laptop stand, with
integrated power and charging module, has been designed to
offer ergonomic support for home workers.
This stylish and compact support can be adjusted to a range
of heights to suit individual users to help prevent a range of
problems, such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and neck,
shoulder and back pain caused by poor posture.
Office or Homeworking
– An Easy Way to Look After Yourself
Whether you are home working, office based or a mixture
of both. Whether you have been shown the best ergonomic
way of sitting and moving at your workstation. Whether you
have a top-of-the-range ergonomic office chair or not.
Only 3:22 minutes - this video will help your posture, stretch
and relax your muscles whilst at your desk and it explains
how this yoga posture can be used for a variety of seated
activities.
You will learn the ‘seated mountain pose’
View via your LinkedIn account here: https://www.linkedin.
com/feed/update/urn:li:lyndaCourse:2803042/
Did you know that:
• Yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility. ...
• Yoga helps with back pain relief. ...
• Yoga can ease arthritis symptoms. ...
• Yoga benefits heart health. ...
• Yoga relaxes you, to help you sleep better. ...
• Yoga can mean more energy and brighter moods. ...
• Yoga helps you manage stress.
Give it a go, no one will even know you are doing it, no
leotard or exercise mat required! Even if it just helps you
uncoil your muscles you may find it de-stresses you for a
few minutes.
www.cfas.uk | 9

Home Working
Home working office
set-up – Are you sitting
comfortably?
As we come out of forced lockdowns and the
economy begins to recover, more and more
companies are opting to continue with their
work from home policies having found them to
be beneficial to employees’ work-life balance,
an overall increase in productivity and keeping
overhead costs down.
What about home working environments?
Home offices generally fall into one of two
scenarios, either a luxury or an afterthought. For
many individuals, the lockdown brought with it a
‘forced to work from home’ situation with often
unusual working conditions. From laptops propped
up in beds to kitchen table working, the home
office has come in many shapes and sizes.
10 | www.cfas.uk

Home Working
Research commissioned by GoCompare Home
Insurance, found only 24% of those questioned had
a dedicated home office with many using a mix of
improvised workplaces including:
21% using their kitchen or dining room table
15% constructing a homeworking space in a spare room
14% using the sofa
6% using their bed
4% have had to move a child out of a bedroom to create
a home office
A survey from Wildgoose Events Ltd found that 40% of
SME employees and 56% of large company employees
felt less comfortable and productive due to their desk
set up, needing more screens, a better chair, a desk, etc.
Home office working set-up has not only affected
individuals work productivity, but also their mental
and physical wellbeing. In an IES Working at Home
Wellbeing Survey, more than half of the respondents
reported musculoskeletal complaints especially in the
neck (58%), shoulder (56%) and back (55%). With 50%
of their respondents reporting not being happy with their
current work-life balance and a 33% frequently feeling
isolated.
However, it is not all doom and gloom and across a
wide variety of surveys, roughly three quarters of all
respondents said they would prefer to continue to work
from home or include working from home as part of their
working options.
What are the solutions for continuing to work from
home?
Office furniture designers, manufacturers and suppliers
are finding the demand from their clients and customers
for home working solutions are coming from both
companies wishing to provide their employees better
home working environments and individuals seeking
improved and more permanent solutions – away from
the kitchen table!
Compact and versatile furniture come workstation
solutions are the optimum choice, whilst individuals with
dedicated home offices are seeking to upgrade existing
office furniture, once adequate for the occasional
use, to a more executive, more appealing design and
functionality.
There is also an emerging desire to use those hidden
and underutilised spaces, such as garages, where a
small pod or booth are ideal. These indoor pods are
flexible, act like domestic furniture that can be moved,
restyled and transported to a new location or even a
new home and are a more economical solution than
their weather and sound proofed outdoor, garden office
construction counterparts.
Dave Allcock, Managing Director at Frem Ltd comments,
‘there has been unprecedented growth in the demand
for homeworking solutions. It has presented a challenge
for furniture designers and manufacturers who have
adapted quickly to the changes, regarded as the new
workspaces, and created the ideal solutions for our
clients and customers.’
With the future looking likely to continue with a mix of
office and home working, it will be the responsibility
of employers, as well as furniture design and
manufacturers, to consider the function, comfort
and wellbeing of employees in their new broader
workspaces.
Dave Allcock, Managing Director, Frem Ltd
A leading UK design and manufacturer of innovative
office, reception, meeting room furniture and storage
solutions.
www.cfas.uk | 11

Home Working
TO BE OR
HOMEWORKING
NOT TO BE
THAT IS THE QUESTION
So many articles have been written with many different
perspectives about homeworking verses office-based work.
What are the benefits, disadvantages and challenges?
This is a highly subjective field, and one which is reliant on many factors, some of them include:
Space in one’s
own home
Privacy to
concentrate and carry
out work activities
Job role and level
of interaction with
others
Personal feelings
of belonging
or isolation
Since its launch in 2010, the Leesman Index has gathered
the workplace industry’s largest database of employee
workplace experience information, providing an
unparalleled resource for all involved in the management,
design and delivery of corporate workplace. This has been
active before the pandemic took hold, then within the first
few weeks, and then after months of COVID-19 restrictions
and alternative working practices. Many of the findings
have been eye-opening, but others obvious once pointed
out.
Demographics show that respondents in the 55-64 age
bracket are more likely to have a dedicated room or private
work space, therefore find distractions less disruptive and
have higher concentration levels when compared to the
under 25’s demographic, who unsurprisingly, are most
likely house-sharing or have smaller living space. The full
report is available for download:
https://www.leesmanindex.com/
12 | www.cfas.uk

Home Working
But one of the forgotten aspects, which
we have not come across yet, so forgive
us if this is readily available, is training
on how to manage oneself at home.
Our furniture industry is rapidly adapting to help employees
adjust to WFH, with:
• online ergonomics advice
• a wide range of down-sized desks and storage
suitable for the home, plus
• innovative domestic furniture come workplace area
which converts into a workstation or back into a
domestic shelving system like something out of a
Transformers movie.
• Mental health support to cope with the change and
lack of face-to-face interaction
But one of the forgotten aspects, which we have not come
across yet, so forgive us if this is readily available, is training
on how to manage oneself at home.
Many field-based roles, such as Sales Representatives
normally work in the field and then at home on ‘admin
days’. When they start in the role they are coached by their
line managers, learning over months and years how to
manage their time, motivation and concentration whilst
working at home.
• How to not be distracted by the home environment
• How to not become a workaholic as the laptop is
readily available and eager for attention
• And what about the mental strength it takes to ignore
the dog looking at you with big sad eyes pleading for
a walk.
• How to cope with all files, notes and information only
being electronic, with no printers and photocopiers.
• How to deal with tired eyes, staring at a screen for
unusually long periods without a visual distraction.
Even quickly glancing away from the computer as a
work colleague walks by helps the eye muscles focus
and re-focus on varying distances, also encouraging
blinking and head/shoulder movement.
• How to cope with working in a confined area as the
home might be cramped, with nowhere to set up a
home office.
But what about all those hundreds of thousands of workers
who were in the office on Monday 23rd March, to be
told that same evening that all non-essential workplaces
were to close, advised that working from home was
recommended, and informed that in effect, all the
mechanisms to facilitate commuting to work were to be
reduced, if not abandoned.
On Tuesday 24th March, many office-based employees
were sitting at home dazed, in front of computers trying
to remotely log-in for the first time. Their home internet
suitable for their personal use, suddenly being stretched to
accommodate workplace activities. Their mobile phone
chosen for the best cover at home, sat in the corner, whilst
they battled with a different network on a company phone.
But most of all … thrown into an exciting and daunting
challenge of how to cope with working from home. We
have read endless social media posts and heard many jokes
about zoom calls being taken in a shirt, tie and pyjama
bottoms.
Training and coaching for the simple things that make the
working day bearable:
• How to motivate oneself
• How to treat the day like any other working day,
shower, dress, eat breakfast and mentally prepare for
the tasks ahead
A good manager of field-based people learns how to help
the transition of a new Sales Rep. A good office-based
manager knows how to support office-based line reports,
and will not automatically have the skills to motivate and
support these same employees remote working.
Life isn’t all about work, and the workday isn’t all about
head down and working. It is ok to wash-up the breakfast
pots when you are waiting for the kettle to boil at tea break.
Staff would normally be chatting to colleagues before they
take their drink back to their desk. No difference. What
is different is when the 5 minutes turns into half an hour
every time the kettle goes on. Helping people work in their
home environment. Helping people live and not become
enslaved to the laptop. These are the challenges and
training that we should be concentrating on, as well as how
to sit ergonomically.
www.cfas.uk | 13

Home Working
WORKING
FROM HOME
A golden age for the designer
and manufacturer?
Rewind twelve months and any article entitled ‘Working from Home’ would have
been a very different read!
No amount of crystal ball gazing could have
predicted what was about to happen to us in
2020 - at the beginning of the year working
from home was the choice of a minority of the
workforce, by the end it had become the ‘new
norm’.
Therefore are we, the designers and
manufacturers of office furniture faced with
a seismic shift in the working patterns of
our end-user? Not just thousands upon
thousands of people no longer commuting on
a daily basis to work in shared office spaces
but organisations no longer requiring such
environments to house these people?
There are compelling arguments on both sides
- will CEO’s and CFO’s decide they can save
fortunes by reducing the amount of office
space they require whilst still retaining a homebased
workforce? Will sufficient numbers
of people decide that they’ve simply had
enough of the lengthy daily commute with all
the expense and lost hours? Or will both the
individual and the company decide that they
still need to work on opposite sides of the desk
in order to be more efficient, to allow ideas to
flow?
Whichever side of the argument you favour, the
challenges will remain the same - regardless of
where people work, they still need somewhere
to sit, somewhere to place the computer,
somewhere to store information, paperwork,
reference material and so on...
14 | www.cfas.uk

Home Working
The chances are we will see an element of
both, with more people deciding to work
from home and slightly smaller office spaces
being required in the city. Which is why
I would suggest that as designers
and manufacturers we are about
to enter a golden age of change
and opportunity. We will
have to design and build
for ‘new spaces’. We
will have to create both
professional workspaces
within a domestic setting
and office environments
with reduced capacity and
fewer people.
Far from being afraid of change I
believe we should welcome it with open
arms. In my working life (currently 40 years
plus), I’ve witnessed more changes to office
environments than I care to remember! The
Whatever 2021 and the
next few years hold in
store for us, a new normal
is going to happen,
let us embrace it and
realise that it is a golden
opportunity not to be
missed.
difference this time is that it is the environment
itself which is moving.
To date the overwhelming majority
of home-based workers will have
purchased their office furniture
from various well-known, off the
shelf brands - some of which
are very good but, in my
personal opinion, lacking
in personality.
As specialists we have
the experience and the
eye for detail to create more
bespoke solutions for this
growing marketplace. Creations
which will be required to blend
in seamlessly with their individual
surroundings - isn’t this just the type of
design challenge we should be welcoming with
open arms?
Ray Lee
Managing director, Panel Plan
www.cfas.uk | 15

Industry News and Services
WHY KEYLESS
SMART LOCKER
SYSTEMS ARE
BECOMING A MUST
HAVE FOR ANY POST
COVID WORKSPACE
Our current view on remote, distributed work,
smart locker storage is a key element in any
safe workplace
The current and post Covid-19 situation impacts
workplaces and in answer to the growing challenges for
many companies to offer safe workplaces, companies
are forced to re-think their workspaces with safe and
contactless smart locker systems.
As we transition into this new distributed work
model, hardwired (networked) smart locker systems
have become more important than ever. Flexible,
customizable, lockers systems.
Covid-19 will change how we
clean and operate keyless
workplace storage.
Easy to sanitize personal storage
lockers help support clean
office policies and disinfection
protocols. Physical distancing is
vital for prevention. Requiring
new workplace planning and
changing the way we will
collaborate. Actively managed
lockers support this need and
help to provide an effective and
secure working environment.
TOUCHLESS AND CLEAN
NETWORKED LOCKER
TECHNOLOGY
Hardwired smart locker systems
offers unique features including
remote pre-allocation of lockers
that will make sure that a
controlled number of employees
collect their personal belongings
while keeping the required
distance between the lockers.
Hardwired locker systems
allow employees to select selfservice
lockers dynamically
using building access cards or
smartphones, or for lockers to
be permanently assigned to an
employee as needed.
Based on real-time locker use,
lockers that have been used, can
be opened remotely for cleaning
purposes.
At a time where contagious
viruses and bacteria dominate
the headlines, the use of keys is
no longer accepted.
Marc Tijdgat - GANTNER
Electronic GmbH - International
Business Development Manager
16 | www.cfas.uk

Industry News and Services
DAMS
Tel: 0151 548 7111
sales@dams.com
www.dams.com
MODUFLEX
Tel: 01179 822 882
info@moduflex.co.uk
www.moduflex.co.uk
OE ELECTRICS
Tel: 01924 367 255
www.oeelectrics.co.uk
The 2021 Dams Furniture Guide is
now available - 424 pages packed
with the biggest and best portfolio of
office furniture products in the UK. With
such a wide portfolio of award-winning
products featured in the new Furniture
Guide, Dams are able to support
dealers with both the products and
services they need throughout the year,
with a publication that is second-tonone
in the office furniture market.
Trade only manufacturer Moduflex
specialise in BESPOKE storage
solutions across many industry sectors
including; workspace, medical,
museum, library, and education.
Boasting production facilities that allow
for a BESPOKE approach to designing
large scale storage and shelving
projects, mobile shelving projects
are second nature. Their extensive
experience speaks for itself.
OE Electrics are excited to announce
the appointment of Jim Anderson as
Joint Managing Director alongside
Group Managing Director, David
Masters.
Jim brings with him a wealth of
experience and has a track record
of growing businesses and driving
strategies of world-class products,
grabbing opportunities globally and
investing in people.
PLEDGE
Tel: 01525 376 181
sales@pledgechairs.co.uk
www.pledgechairs.co.uk
The 2021 Specification Guide from
Pledge Office Chairs features a selection
of new products. These including
Poise, an exciting new mesh task
chair, Matt and Win, four-leg chairs
with distinctive plastic colour options,
a unique rocking stool called Buck and
finally a soft seating addition Target, with
comfortable upholstery and distinctive
metal leg.
SUTTONS
Tel: 01458 252 492
sales@suttonupholsterers.co.uk
www.suttonupholsterers.co.uk
The Covid-19 pandemic is focusing
attention to the importance of infection
control and the need to ensure furniture
is covered in anti-microbial materials
which inhibit the growth of bacteria and
viruses. Suttons provide cost-effective
renovation services for office seating
and medical furniture and are endorsed
by the NHS.
Contact Suttons for a FREE estimate
and advice.
BROADPOWER
Tel: 01258 841 001
sales@broadpower.co.uk
Broadpowers latest addition to the
Punto Range is the Punto Plus.
With its unique ability to provide Power,
charging USB, data/AV and pull through
capability in an 80mm Grommet, this
small product packs a punch.
Please contact their sales team for more
information.
www.cfas.uk | 17

Industry News and Services
The new
UKCA mark
ARE YOU
READY?
Bruce Lovell, consultant at FIRA International, and author of a recent guide published
by the Furniture Industry Research Association entitled ‘UKCA & UKNI marking
guidance: Great Britain and Northern Ireland Conformity Assessment Marks’, aims to
ensure we’re all ready for the new UKCA mark which came into force from 1 January
2021.
The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is the new product marking that
will be used for certain goods being placed on the market of Great Britain (England,
Scotland and Wales) when fully leaving the EU. It covers most goods which previously
required CE marking. It’s now in place with a one-year transitional acceptance of CE
marking. UKCA marking cannot be used for goods placed on the Northern Ireland
market.
18 | www.cfas.uk

Industry News and Services
What does the UKCA mark mean?
It is the manufacturer’s statement that the product
conforms to UK legislation and is placed on
the product by the manufacturer or authorised
representative. This is in essence the same principle as
that of the CE mark, but for the GB market.
What are the differences between
UKCA and CE marking?
Many of the differences between the two systems
are to reflect that UKCA only applies to GB and only
requires information in English. This simplifies aspects
such as where the technical information must be kept
and which language applies. Other differences relate
to the separation of UK conformity assessment bodies
from the EU Notified Body System. This may be if the
Manufacturer has made use of a UK Approved Body
(the UK equivalent of the EU Notified Body) and only
wishes to place their products on the UK Market.
The checklist detailed below will help you decide if
you need to use the new UKCA marking immediately
after 1st January 2021 if ALL of the following apply and
you answer YES to all questions in the checklist.
You will need to use the new UKCA marking immediately after 1st Jan 2021 if you
answer YES to all of the following questions
YES / NO
Is the furniture product for the market of Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)
Is the furniture product covered by legislation which requires UKCA marking - The
Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) regulations 2019 -
which requires CE marking by virtue of its design or functionality (LVD, EMC, Toy,
Machinery, RED)
Does the furniture product require third party conformity assessment
The conformity assessment has been carried out by a UK conformity assessment
body and you haven’t transferred your conformity assessment files from your UK
body to an EU recognised body before 1st Jan 2021.
The majority of furniture products will be self-certified
and therefore will answer NO in the third question of
the checklist and do not have to do anything till 1st
Jan 2022. For those manufacturers in this position
we strongly advise that you look at what your
requirements are to get fully compliant with UKCA
rules before the end of 2021
The UKCA mark must be applied to the product
itself or to the packaging. There may be some cases
where it can be placed in instruction manuals or
other supporting literature depending on the specific
regulations that apply to the product. Remember:
• UKCA markings must only be placed on a product
by you as the manufacturer or your authorised
representative (where allowed for in the relevant
legislation)
• When attaching the UKCA marking, you take full
responsibility for your products conformity with
the requirements of the relevant legislation
• You must only use the UKCA marking to show
product conformity with the relevant UK
legislation
• You must only place any marking or sign that may
misconstrue the meaning or form of the UKCA
marking to third parties.
• You must not attach other markings on the
product which affect the visibility, legibility or
meaning of the UKCA marking
• The UKCA marking cannot be placed on products
unless there is a specific requirement to do so in
the legislation
For more details on the UKCA marking guide from the
Furniture Industry Research Association go to www.fira.
co.uk/UKCA
www.cfas.uk | 19

Industry News and Services
Brexit, Transport,
Fuel, Green
Alternatives
A MULTITUDE OF FACTS,
INFORMATION AND HELP
GUIDES
Although it’s early days to understand the effect Brexit will have on our
industry sector, we invite members to submit their findings and opinions
for inclusion in our Spring Journal.
UBI, one of the UK’s leading
commercial furniture
installation companies, who
have recently become a
CFAS associate, are tracking
the effect Brexit is having
on their business. With
sites in Belfast, Warrington
and Bromsgrove, plus
countless European projects
undertaken each month, we
are looking forward to this
insight from UBI.
Meanwhile, please find some
useful information regarding
transport, fuel and green
alternatives:
TFL – guidance on delivering
into London, with a re-timing
guide to help companies
reduce their emissions, noise
and travel time.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/
retimingguide.pdf
TFL – guidance based
on working with London
businesses to reduce
deliveries, saving money
and reducing environmental
impact. Four case studies
showing how it can be done.
https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/
deliveries-in-london/
delivering-efficiently/
consolidatingdeliveries?intcmp=37938
Choosing an electric van can
save you a lot of money – if it
suits the type of driving you
do. Here’s everything you
need to know with an article
detailing the pro’s and con’s
about buying an electric van.
https://www.whatcar.com/
advice/buying/should-i-buyan-electric-van/n20241
The Energy Saving Trust have
released an electric charging
vehicles best practice guide,
to advise:
(1) where and how to charge
your electric vehicle
(2) to get the most driving
range out of your battery and
(3) reduce costs, plus
(4) learn about different
chargers, public and at home,
and
(5) other avenues of support
and funding that can make
charging and owning an
electric vehicle easier.
https://energysavingtrust.org.
uk/advice/charging-electricvehicles/
252 McDonald’s restaurants
in the Netherlands will
recycle the used cooking oil
from french fries into fuel
for trucks to deliver goods
back into McDonalds. The
renewable diesel enables
customers to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
20 | www.cfas.uk

Industry News and Services
by up to 90% over the fuel’s
life cycle compared to fossil
diesel.
https://biofuels-news.com/
news/oil-from-mcdonaldsfrench-fries-to-be-convertedinto-renewable-diesel/
If McDonalds can do it, why
can’t you - here is a link to
explain that it can be done
(albeit with complexity) and
the steps you have to take to
protect your engine.
Facts about E10 a lower
carbon fuel. The UK
Government is consulting
on the introduction at filling
stations across the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/
https://www.bellperformance.
com/blog/running-your-caron-vegetable-oil
government/news/new-eraof-green-fuel-set-to-clean-upbritains-roads#:~:text=The%20
government%20is%20
consulting%20on,filling%20
stations%20across%20
the%20UK.&text=Drivers%20
across%20the%20UK%20
could,today%20(4%20
March%202020).
Hydrogen cars: how the fuel
cell works, where the UKs
filling stations are and how
expensive they are to run.
https://www.scotsman.com/
lifestyle/cars/hydrogen-carshow-fuel-cell-works-whereuks-filling-stations-are-andhow-expensive-they-arerun-1386285
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/
advice/buying-and-sellingguides/hydrogen-cars/
Three-wheeled solar powered
car – sounds like something
out of a Marvel comic, well it’s
here. Not a concept car, they
are actually taking orders for
delivery in 2021. Read more:
https://www.greenmatters.
com/p/aptera-how-does-itwork
Whatever happened to LPG
dual fuel vehicles – is LPG
Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG) is a clean-burning, low
carbon fossil fuel, but you
need to be fairly committed
and keep a vehicle long term
for the conversion savings to
pay off.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/
advice/emissions/what-is-lpg/
https://motorway.co.uk/
guides/lpg-cars
UNIVERSAL BUSINESS
INSTALLATIONS Ltd
www.aaron-desking.com
www.abl-uk.com
www.acs365.co.uk
www.alchemyfurniture.co.uk
Warrington | Belfast | Bromsgrove
www.andrewsofficefurniture.com
www.bof.co.uk
www.claremont-centre.com
www.cmd‐ltd.com
www.cobal.co.uk.
www.conset.org.uk
www.crownworkspace.com
www.deraat.co.uk
www.flokk.com
www.freewall.co.uk
www.imperialfurniture.co.uk
www.james-tobias.com
Working with manufacturers and dealers, UBI Ltd receive and
collate orders at our service centres ready for onward deliveries
throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, shipping directly from our
depots. Our warehouse personnel carry out rigorous quality
control checks, securely wrapping each order ready for shipping.
www.kieurope.com
www.leeandplumpton.co.uk
www.maine.co.uk
www.moduflex.co.uk
Services
www.nomique.com
www.panelplan.co.uk
www.redbox.co.uk
www.smaartbox.co.uk
• Commercial Furniture Installation
• Delivery & Installation (Fully Managed Homeworker Delivery Services
• Furniture Logistics, European Forwarding and Warehousing
• Specialist Installations and Relocations Acoustic Pods / Mobile Racking
• Store wall Installation and Relocations
• Project Management / Pre-Installation Surveys
• Move Management and Relocation Services
• Ethical Recycling & Waste Management
• Furniture Service & Health Inspections / Repairs
www.solutions-4.co.uk
www.superstat.co.uk
www.southernofficefurniture.co.uk
www.ecodesk360.co.uk
www.staverton.co.uk
www.teknikoffice.co.uk
www.stebul.co.uk
www.unique-group.co.uk
www.ubiltd.co.uk
general@ubiltd.co.uk
www.unique-group.co.uk
www.viasit.com/en/home
www.vital-parts.co.uk
www.wagstaffgroup.co.uk
www.cfas.uk | 21

PRODUCT NEWS
TV Lifts since 2005
Electric tables and frames since 2000
RF control
(Optional IR)
Adjustable Stroke
Safety stop
A world of choices
www.conset.org.uk
All published prices
are suggested retail
ex VAT
Model
Stroke/capacity
Min install height
TS700C&A
700mm/65kg
650mm
TS1000C&A
1000mm/65kg
750mm
ConSet design and
manufacture all their
own electric
mechanisms and
frames
501-11
Heavy duty, standard
duty, shallow tops,
deep tops, 120
degree, L shape,
back2back, very
large, very small and
even mobile via a
battery pack.
Black, silver, white
and chrome options
UK trade distributors:
Furniture manufacturing
Hafele.co.uk 0800 171 2909
AV manufacturing
Screenlifts.co.uk (Loxit) 01625 365184
TS700 and TS1000 have a high lifting
capacity of 65kg upright or 29kg if used
upside down. Both A and C versions
have a setting option for collision safety
on the downward stroke and type C
also has this on the upward stroke.
Type C has an additional electronic
stroke adjustment. Type A has just a
mechanical adjustment.
Type C has the possibility to sync
multiple lifts as one or to create a
double extension with 2000mm stroke.
TS1000C twin
1000mm/65kg
750mm
Testing: a multitude
of testing exists
throughout the
product range
ConSet electric
frames with or
without table tops are
sold throughout the
UK and Ireland via
ConSet retail dealers
and furniture
manufacturers
501-37
501-19
Two shipment days
per week from
Denmark to the UK,
the average frame
stock status through
2019/20
exceeded 90%
501-25
Lightweight compact lift.
Designed specifically for small TVs
Maximum capacity 12kg.
Adjustable stroke.
Optional lid lifter and VESA bracket set.
TS600B can be used upside up or upside
down or laid flat to open a drawer on
runners. RF control or optional IR.
TS600B
600m/12kg
500mm
Direct trade supply
with online
ordering and direct
stock access for all
approved dealers
and manufacturers
ConSet A/S
is a Danish company
run and owned by its
founders.
The products are
sold worldwide
These photos show a very small selection of the
vast range, ConSet desk frames have been sold
in the UK since 2003.
VenSet and ConSet are founded by the same
owners, both brands have an extensive global
presence of dealers, distributors and sales
offices. Known all over the world with a well
established and proven product history.
UK +44 (0)1245 477922 venset@interlineuk.com - venset.com conset@interlineuk.com - conset.org.uk
22 | www.cfas.uk

PRODUCT NEWS
ALCHEMY
Tel: 01424 839100
sales@alchemyfurniture.co.uk
CENTURY OFFICE
Tel: 08000 929 301
sales@century-office.co.uk
www.century-office.co.uk
GO OFFICE
Tel: 0800 195 9030
sales@gooffice.co.uk
www.gooffice.co.uk
Fence is a modular divider of space,
freestanding it gives the total flexibility
that a modern working environment
demands.
Use Fence to create collaborative
spaces and define circulation paths,
specify accessories to give visual
seclusion or leave the modules open
to create zones without closing down
space and restricting natural light.
Social Distancing Made Easy With
Darlex
Darlex easy learning chair has been
designed for hardwearing and
flexible teaching and meeting room
environments. Promoting effortless
collaboration and movement, Darlex is
the chair that can be easily reconfigured
and customised to any work modes, all
within the comfort of one meeting space
or classroom. Now available from stock.
GO OFFICE FURNITURE LTD
The ENGAGE MEETING Pod, is a large
acoustic space which can be furnished
to suit various needs. Complete
with power supply and computer
connections it is ideal for phone calls,
video conferencing or small meetings. A
silent working space, with a feeling
of privacy. Ideal for a Factory floor or
extra Office space.
Tallo & Tallo Modular
Monitor Arms
Our most sophisticated range of monitor arms,
expertly crafted to perform effortlessly.
www.fellowes.com
To view a sample,
email: tbrowning@fellowes.com
www.cfas.uk | 23

PRODUCT NEWS
Charge
Anywhere
60W laptop
charging
piccolo
PICCOLO is powered via a compact QikFit
Power Supply Unit which sits discreetly under
the desk. The PSU can be connected to
multiple, multinational, QikFit power units all
held within the QikTray cable basket providing
an ideal kit for any desk, anywhere.
Find out more about our animate range:
oeelectrics.co.uk/animate
or call 01924 367255
24 | www.cfas.uk
animate
bringing furniture to life

PRODUCT NEWS
FELLOWES
Tel:07894 608 280
www.fellowes.com
FREM
Tel: 01604 756 567
info@frem.co.uk
www.frem.co.uk
MODUFLEX
Tel: 01179 822 882
info@moduflex.co.uk
www.moduflex.co.uk/lockers
For more than 100 years, Fellowes has
been helping people to be the best
they can be in their workspace. This
now includes the Levado and Cambio
height-adjustable desks, ingeniously
designed desk converters - such as
the award-winning Lotus and the
surprisingly cost-effective Corsivo; and
a cutting-edge range of monitor arms
- including the all-new Tallo and Tallo
Modular.
Innovative Booths and Hubs
Responsible booths and hubs from
Frem’s Oasis Collection. Meeting
the demand to balance staff safety
and wellbeing with productivity and
functionality, Frem have developed new
Oasis Soft Booths and Hubs with open
sides and tops for maximum air flow,
whilst providing practical spaces for
individual and collaborative working.
Moduflex production facilities allow for
the seamless and efficient manufacture
of MFC and steel furniture products.
Lockers can be manufactured in
either of these materials, and also by
combining both. There are no limitations
to the size of individual lockers in each
bank, or to the scale of each project.
FURNITURE
COMPONENTS
For more information visit: glazpart.com or
call 01295 264533 to speak with one of the team
www.cfas.uk | 25

PRODUCT NEWS
Don't forget to stand while working at
your desk - need help, set a reminder!
For further information contact LINAK UK Ltd
sales@linak.co.uk or 0121 544 2211
LINAK.CO.UK/DESKLINE
26 | www.cfas.uk

PRODUCT NEWS
Presenting: Collaborative seating
Creating a better place to learn
#movement
Call us today on
01527 916123
to find out more
Key features
• Ergonomic chair with armrests and fold-able
writing tablet
• Anti-panic mechanism in black polypropylene.
• Thermo-injection grey polypropylene shell
• 100% recyclable
• TRI-POD base in polypropylene diam. 600 mm
on 6 castors
• Storage capacity 35 litres
• Complies with the strength, durability and safety
requirements of EN 16139:2013 level 1
• Complies with the dimensional and safety
requirements of EN 1729-1 and EN 1729-2 for size
mark 6
SALES: +44 (0) 1527 916123 WEBSITE: www.stebul.co.uk EMAIL: sales@stebul.co.uk
ESSENTIAL WORKSPACES
sales@essentialworkspaces.co.uk
www.essentialworkspaces.co.uk/
product/corsivo
How the current and post
Covid-19 situation requires safe
keyless workplace storage
Safely return to the office with smart
locker systems adapting to post Covid-19
www.gantner.com
Fellowes Corsivo Sit Stand Workstation
Fellowes Corsivo Sit-stand workstation is a cost-effective choice.
Transform your sedentary desk into a dynamic sit-stand workstation
and add movement to your working day to stay active and healthy.
Easily transition from sitting to standing with gas spring height
adjustment. Two-tiered larger work surface can accommodate flexible
set up options, holding two monitors or a monitor and a laptop. Keep
your phone or other accessories within easy reach with the convenient
device channel. Black finish.
Take advantage of our current offer! - Cheaper than Amazon
www.cfas.uk | 27

IRIS
MONITOR ARM
Our industry leading Iris Arms provide
smooth individual screen adjustment at
your fi ngertips. The Iris Arm is the ultimate
monitor arm solution.
28 | www.cfas.uk
BROADPOWER
Telephone 01258 841001
www.broadpower.co.uk