Why are the European standards important?

Once a furniture producer chooses to certify his product range according to European standards, he understands to accept a set of rules and restrictions applicable to his products (dimensional, constructive, and perhaps even aesthetic), and on the other hand to orient himself towards a standardized range (aspect that offers superior control over his production), as well as towards medium quality at least, which he can present to the market. What might seem to be a sacrifice at first due to the investments and changes that are required (new production equipment, raw materials, and effective workflow in the production sector) becomes, in time, a reference and set of rules that will better organize his work and places him as an image and quality among European producers. Most of the time, the consumer audience of laboratory furniture is not a professional, which makes it easier for him to follow the manufacturing standards (especially when it comes to comparing the offers of other competitors) when creating their requests. This public has become more and more receptive and cooperative when it comes to reporting to an European standard, also thanks to his professional training. The laboratory staff is familiar with the notion of "standard" and easily understands its importance. In laboratory activity, standards and working methods are very common, and are a common language between laboratories in the country and in Europe. Laboratory furniture is also the result of a job, the completion of stages - the conformity of the furniture with these standards guarantees a real quality of the collections offered and makes possible (at least theoretically) the hierarchy of the producers on the basis of performance. The standardized and certified furniture is always modular and interchangeable, so that the fitting/furnishing of a laboratory can be done in steps (within the limits of annual budgets, for example) without showing any differences from one step of furnishing to another. An item purchased at one time must have the same features after the warranty period, the replacement of it should be possible without the risk of looking completely different, and in case of deterioration there will always be spare parts available. Moreover, certified furniture also solves the problem of adaptability of laboratory personnel: the ergonomy and type of furniture modules universally accepted at European level (as shape, dimensions and materials) make any laboratory space a comfortable and welcoming place. Manufacturers can maintain their flexibility and can make customized furniture items whenever necessary (there are situations where flexibility can be a decisive advantage), but not within the limits of certified production.

The Implementation of European standards in Romanian production

At least for the moment, the production of furniture, including for laboratories, is not a legally regulated field – meaning that manufacturers are not required to certify their products according any internal or European standard, leaving it up to them to respect these normatives or not. Regardless of the manufacturer’s attitude towards its furniture range, the European production compliance not only maintains a consistent level of quality, but also gradually increases, in stages, quality and reliability. A production standard is often a dynamic system, as new revisions are always published, and new chapters or paragraphs are added gradually, all of these changes having the role of transfiguring the products covered by that standard into some of the highest quality, offering people better protection in the lab against any sort of danger in their work environment, making the laboratory as ergonomic and comfortable as possible. To keep up with these recommendations, a producer must always adapt, look for new technical solutions and bring new advantages to his products almost every year. It is obvious that a trust worthy manufacturer needs to comply with the standards he/she chooses to implement alongside all periodical changes that these imply. In terms of laboratory furniture, there are production normatives for almost every piece that enters a design project:

• SR EN 13150: 2004 Work tables (linear, modular, multifunctional tables) - Laboratory tables. Dimensions, security specifications and test methods.
• SR EN 14727: 2006 Storage units (on the ground, under the worktop or suspended), Laboratory furniture. Storage facilities for laboratories. Requirements and test methods
• EN 14470-1: 2004 Reagent cabinets (specialized storage of chemical reagents in laboratory, in a safe way). Security boxes in case of fire for storage. Part 1 - Security boxes for the storage of flammable liquids.
• Chemical niches with exhaust 14175 SR EN 14175-1: 2004 - Draft hoods. Part 1: Vocabulary SR EN 14175-2: 2004 – Draft hoods. Part 2: Security and Performance Requirements SR EN 14175-3: 2004 Draft hoods. Part 3: Test methods SR EN 14175-4: 2005 - Draft hoods. Part 4: Methods of in-situ testing SR EN 14175-5: 2006 - Draft hoods. Part 5: Installation and maintenance recommendations SR EN 14175-6: 2006 - Draft hoods. Part 6: Variable air flow hoods SR EN 14175-7: 2012 - Draft hoods. Part 7: Draft hoods for high temperatures and high acidity
• EN 61010-1: 2010 Laboratory electrical installations (safety recommendations for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use)
• EN 14470-2: 2006 Storage of gas cylinders under pressure.
• EN 14056: 2003 Design Recommendations and installation of laboratory furniture
• EN 13792: ​​2002 European standardized color code for laboratory valves

E-laboratory (part of the Nitech Group) has built over the years the entire production of laboratory furniture according to these regulations, feeling from the beginning the need to be perceived as a furniture producer at European level. Since the beginning of the E-laborator, the main suppliers of laboratory furniture have been European manufacturers (Spain, Italy, and Germany) with obvious superior experience. At the moment, things are the same, but the gratifying thing is that E-Laborator has become a competitor for these big companies, at least internally and in the surrounding area. It does not come in handy for a Romanian manufacturer to take the step and align with the European standards, but in the long run it is absolutely necessary, especially with regard to such a strict and technical field as laboratory activity. It's a tedious process, with lots of expenses and prototypes. As an example: getting informed regarding a certain European standard costs. This type of information is not available at the click of a mouse (as we are used to), and simply reading the text of a standard is an expense. Then, the product certification process takes into account one or more external (independent) partners - testing laboratories and accreditation and certification bodies, plus visits and subsequent audits at regular intervals. Our concern for quality does not stop at the certification process according to the European norms – they set a minimum quality standard under which we cannot decrease, but we can always put on the market aesthetic and quality products, as long as these solutions are soldable. Though pioneers on this market, through our everyday work, we try to offer better products and solutions, starting from the standard text.