Certifications for Our Furniture and Company

Tested and validated certifications at VS

Not only have our products been awarded multiple certificates, so, too, has our company.

Not only have our products been awarded multiple certifications, so, too, has our company. Independent centres validate us regularly: The action VS has taken with respect to sustainability, product safety and management systems is very sound.

Certifications on product and user safety

A large number of core processes and statutory minimum requirements are incorporated as basis components in the certification. They also include aspects of sustainability, such as the requirements concerning emissions and pollutants or the safety and long life of a product.

Our products have been awarded the following certificate in the field of product and user safety.

The GS mark is our guarantee of the safety of our furniture.

In a GS test, an independent accredited body tests products, such as furniture, for stability, strength and durability. However, the focus is also on ergonomic requirements.

Validity

Almost all VS series products bear the GS mark.

This certification programme defines requirements for emissions and pollutants that go far beyond the legal requirements.

The certificate is nationally recognised. After successful completion of the initial test, an annual surveillance test is carried out.

Validity at VS

To ensure the health and well-being of our customers, we test and monitor a large number of our standard products in accordance with this certification programme.

This ensures that there are no harmful emissions from the furniture and that the product cycle is not adversely affected by environmentally harmful substances.

Greenguard is an emissions label from UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a leading testing institute in the USA.

It sets strict requirements for emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and our furniture is tested to ensure it meets these limits.

Validity at VS

A large number of our products carry the Greenguard label. Most of them achieve the highest level of requirements, Gold.

Currently, around 100 of our model series are listed with Greenguard through our American subsidiary VS America, Inc.

This list can be viewed publicly here. Select VS America under the ‘Manufacturers/Brands’ filter.

In close cooperation with recognised, independent test laboratories, VS upholstered furniture and chairs are tested in accordance with or based on the fire protection standard DIN 66084 ‘Classification of the burning behaviour of upholstered composites’ with the classes P-a, P-b and P-c.

Classification is carried out in accordance with this standard using the cigarette test in accordance with DIN EN 1021 Part 1, the match test in accordance with DIN EN 1021 Part 2 and the paper cushion test in accordance with DIN 54341.

Even in the standard version, the upholstered furniture and chair models from VS fulfil the classification standard P-c (low) and P-b (medium). The classification standard P-a (high) is achieved if the furniture is additionally fitted with a barrier material. VS offers this equipment as an option.

The AGR seal of approval is awarded by Aktion Gesunder Rücken e. V. It identifies products that can demonstrably contribute to ergonomic and back-friendly benefits. The assessment focuses on whether a product meets ergonomic requirements and can be used effectively from a medical perspective.

Certifications on sustainability

Higher sustainability standards consider products in the round – from the choice of the material and the production process right up to delivery of the furniture. The aspects considered include: Is regenerative energy used and, if so, how much? How long do the products last? How does the company get involved in social matters?

There is currently a plethora of sustainability certification schemes on the market. With our products, we focus on the European Level because we are convinced by its holistic approach.

Our environmental product information sheets (EPI) also provide information about the sustainability of our products. We have compiled them for the majority of our series products to make their environmental impacts more transparent.

European Level is a standard for office and non-residential furniture with comprehensive product and company-related criteria for sustainability and recycling. It has been developed by industry experts to define specific requirements for furniture.

The standard is published by the European Office Furniture Association (FEMB) and legally owned by IBA (Industrieverband Büro und Arbeitswelt e. V.).

There is currently a wide range of sustainability certifications available. At VS we focus on the European level because of its holistic approach. More information on the European level can be found here.

Validity for VS

Overview of certified VS products

BIFMA level is the sustainability standard of the American Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA). It is an evaluation and certification system for environmentally friendly and socially responsible school, office and contract furniture.

Validity at VS

Since October 2013, the majority of VS products have been certified to BIFMA level. In the recertification in 2016, all of the certified products were awarded the product-related BIFMA certification at the highest level 3 or platinum.

‘Cradle to Cradle’ is a sustainable design concept with the aim of designing products in such a way that they do not become waste at the end of their lives and the material can be used again and again in a closed cycle.

Importance at VS

As a manufacturing company, we examine every aspect of the material cycle of our products. In the process, we consider the basic idea of C2C (e.g. easily-dismantled construction, low-pollutant materials).

Our main focus is on the long life of our products so that they are used for as long as possible before being returned to the cycle.

JUMPER Air Active from VS is the first school and institutional chair to achieve the complex certification . The school chair PantoSwing- LuPo has also been certified as well as the tables Uno-C und EcoTable (https://c2ccertified.org/certified-products).

The EU Ecolabel is awarded to products and services that have a lower environmental impact than comparable products. The label is intended to enable consumers to identify more environmentally friendly and healthier products.

Significance for VS

The following models are entitled to carry the EU EcoLabel: EcoTable 23005 (70 x 60) and Shift Landscape 45293 with adjustable feet.

ISO 38200 an internationally recognised standard for the manufacturing cycle (CoC, Chain of Custody) of wood and wood products, which is valid worldwide. The standard governs the passing on of information along the supply chain. In particular, it is designed to support and implement responsible and legal wood sourcing - including the context of the EU Timber Regulation.

Validity at VS

All VS products that contain wood materials are delivered to our customers under the ISO 38200 test label.

Certifications on management systems

How does a company act as a manufacturer, employer, social player? What are the bases of its actions? What is the quality of its processes, have they been clearly defined and are they documented? What environmental and energy targets has the company set for itself?

The company certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001, DIN EN ISO 14001 and DIN EN ISO 50001 lays down requirements in this respect that we use as a guideline and on the basis of which we have ourselves certified. This is how we demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable practices.

Certification according to ISO 9001 is the basis for the continuous improvement process of the company’s quality management system. Quality management encompasses all activities including specifying the responsibilities that contribute in any way to achieving an organisation's quality goals.

The principles of quality management are: customer orientation, management responsibility, involving the people concerned, process-oriented approach, continuous improvement, objective decision-making approach and supplier relations for mutual benefit.

ISO 14001 gives an organisation a framework for protecting the environment and enables it to react to changing environmental conditions in accordance with socio-economic demands and changing environmental conditions.

The sustainable development of the organisation is made possible by a systematic approach in the following areas: protecting the environment, reducing negative environmental conditions on the company, improving environmental performance, environmental orientation of the entire life cycle of products, gaining economic advantages by using environmentally compatible alternatives, and communication of environmental information.

This standard refers to the factors that can be influenced by the company and can be adapted to individual requirements. Accordingly, companies can systematically and continuously improve their energy efficiency.

The purpose of energy management is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts and to save energy costs. The company is installing systems and processes that are needed to improve energy performance, such as energy efficiency and consumption.