Rules & Regulations

The Codes & Compliance

Codes are everywhere, in every city and town from coast to coast. Codes for fire exits, extinguishers, and sprinklers. Codes to cover siesmic activity. Codes for lighting and electrical. Even codes for office furniture. Finding out which codes apply to you can be quite a journey. Which is why you are best off contacting your local city office for guidance. They are the definitive experts in your area, not to mention the final say, on what codes will apply to you.

ADA Guidelines

In 1990 Congress passed the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) to protect the civil rights of those with physical disabilities. Ever since, Turnstone has taken a leadership role in exceeding ADA standards on all its products. But, how does the ADA affect your space planning? It's best to just think of it in terms of ‘access.’

Access into your space (width of door openings, barriers into buildings).
Access inside your space (counter height, aisle width)
Access to your products, services or information (easy to physically reach or assisted communication) The US Department of Justice is a good place to start for small businesses looking for ADA Guidance and Recommendations. To help cover some of the expense incurred from making access improvements, go to www.ada.gov/taxincent.pdf. By all means, feel free to lean on us for additional ADA information. Let's just say we've helped more than a few business meet ADA guidelines.

ANSI, BIFMA, and the Wisdom to Know the Difference

How do you identify good quality furniture? Is it safe to rely on referrals, manufacturer's reputation, and price? Or is there a better way? Office furniture manufacturers are required to follow specific industry standards when making contract grade office furniture. Products have to meet certain levels of performance, safety and durability - all of which are a significant step above consumer safety guidelines. The two major national organizations that develop and set these rigid standards are the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA)(link to two videos Emily has). Before purchasing furniture, look to see if it has earned an ANSI/BIFMA rating. Would it surprise you to know that all Turnstone furniture is contract grade and meets or exceeds the industry ANSI/BIFMA standards? Didn't think so. Go to www.ansi.org or www.bifma.org for more riveting information.

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