What Is Contract Furniture? Crib 5 and BS 7176 Explained

If you are furnishing a hotel, office, clinic or restaurant, you will quickly come across the terms contract furniture and Crib 5. This guide explains what they mean in plain English and how to use them to choose furniture that is safe, durable and right for your space.

• What is contract furniture?
• Fire safety: BS 5852, BS 7176 and Crib 5
• Which hazard level does my space need?
• How to choose commercial furniture

What is contract furniture?

Contract furniture is furniture designed and made for commercial use. Compared with furniture for the home, it has stronger frames and joints, harder-wearing fabrics and finishes, and upholstery tested to the fire safety standards for non-domestic seating. It is built to be used by many people every day, often for many years. Most leading design brands, including HAY, Vitra, Muuto and Fritz Hansen, publish contract ranges or confirm which products are suitable for commercial settings.

Fire safety: BS 5852, BS 7176 and Crib 5

In the UK, the fire performance of upholstered seating is tested using BS 5852. The standard describes a series of ignition sources, from a smouldering cigarette (source 0) and a match-sized flame (source 1) up to wooden cribs of increasing size. Crib 5 is one of those cribs: a small stack of wooden sticks that is set alight on the seat to test whether the fabric and filling together resist ignition.

BS 7176 then sets out which tests seating must pass for different types of non-domestic building, grouped by hazard level.

Which hazard level does my space need?

• Low hazard: typically offices, schools and similar buildings. Seating must pass the cigarette and match tests.
• Medium hazard: typically hotels, restaurants, bars and public buildings. Seating must also pass Crib 5.
• High and very high hazard: places such as certain healthcare sleeping areas, offshore installations and prisons, which require more severe tests.

These are general examples. The level your space needs is set by your fire risk assessment, so always check with your fire risk assessor or building control. Many specifiers choose Crib 5 upholstery even in offices, because it gives an extra margin of safety and keeps options open if a space changes use.

How to choose commercial furniture

1. Start with the use. How many people, how often, and for how long will they sit?
2. Check fire safety. Confirm the hazard level with your fire risk assessment and specify upholstery to match.
3. Think about cleaning. Clinics and busy hospitality spaces may need wipe-clean or performance fabrics.
4. Plan the layout. Good space planning matters as much as the products.
5. Buy from a specialist. A commercial furniture specialist can confirm suitability, lead times and certification for every item.

Palette Spaces specifies furniture from leading design brands for commercial use, with upholstery matched to your fire safety requirements. Explore our commercial furniture packages or ask us for a quote.