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Hear a word and not sure exactly what it means? Don't be intimidated, we're here
to help. Below are commonly used terms about office furniture to help you become
more knowledgeable to industry lingo.
A B C D E F G H I
K L M N O P R S T
U V W
Adjustable Glides - Support devices for leveling or stabilizing
units. Alternately referred to as "glides", "levelers", or "height adjusters".
ANSI - American National Standards Institute. An accredited BIFMA
standards developer that coordinates development and use of voluntary testing
standards to support safe, healthy and sustainable work environments.
www.ansi.org
Asynchronous Control - Allows the backrest and seat to move
simultaneously but independently for the user to maximize his/her comfort.
Base Cap - A solid wood cap that fits over a prong of the metal
understructure base.
BIFMA - Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's
Association. A non-profit organization that provides an effective forum for
office and institutional furniture manufacturers to collaborate
on appropriate industry issues. www.bifma.org
Box Drawer - A drawer that is generally 6" in height. Derives
its name from the card boxes in which bankers kept account information.
CARB - California Air Resource Board. An environmental state-funded
group that works to attain and maintain healthy air quality, protect the public
from exposure to toxic air contaminants, and provide innovative approaches for
complying with air pollution rules and regulations. Established Regulation 93120
which sets acceptable emission levels for products used in the state of California.
www.arb.ca.gov
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - One of the gases in our atmosphere. Carbon
dioxide is released into our atmosphere when carbon-containing fossil fuels such as
oil, natural gas, and coal are burned. As a result of the world-wide consumption of
such fossil fuels, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased over the past
century. CO2 is the most common Greenhouse Gas.
Carbon Offset Credits - A credit from another organization's project
that results in less carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than
would otherwise occur. Carbon offsets are bought and sold through a number of brokers,
online retailers, and trading platforms. For example, wind energy companies often sell
carbon offsets. The wind energy company benefits because the carbon offsets it sells
make such projects more economically viable. The buyers of the offsets benefit because
they can claim that their purchase resulted in new non-polluting energy, which they
can use to mitigate their own greenhouse gas emissions. The buyers may also save money
as it may be less expensive for them to purchase offsets than to eliminate their own
emissions. Other examples of carbon offsets are solar energy, the protection and
restoration of land, and the reduction of methane emission in livestock operations.
Casters - Wheels or rollers which are fitted to a chair base to
provide mobility.
Catalyzed Lacquer - A chemical reaction induced by material unchanged
chemically at the end of the reaction.
Center Drawer - Commonly referred to as the "pencil drawer". This drawer
is mounted beneath the worksurface, centered between the pedestals. Center drawers are
sold both standard with desks or in some cases, must be purchased separately.
Certified Wood - A credible guarantee that wood based products originate
from an environmentally responsible source; assures the public that certain wood and paper
products come from responsibly managed forests. USGBC LEED recognizes the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) Certified Wood label.
Chain of Custody (COC) - A certificate with a unique number that provides a system
for tracking wood through each stage, from the forest to the product's point of sale.
It assures the public that the product was produced from a well-managed forest. A part of
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
Chassis - The body of a desk. Refers to those elements that are below the
worksurface. Includes end panels, pedestals and modesty panels.
Chemicals of Concern - Chemicals that are potentially harmful to the
environment or individuals. These can be present in end products, manufacturing processes,
maintenance procedures, etc. Various organizations publish lists of these chemicals such
as the EPA, World Health Organization, etc.
COL - Customer's Own Leather.
COM - Customer's Own Material.
Cradle-to-Cradle - A term used in life cycle assessment to describe a
material or product that is recycled into a new product at the end of its defined life.
Manufacturers can obtain Cradle-to-Cradle certification for their products from McDonough
Braungart Design Chemistry.
Credenza - A unit with pedestals, generally 18" to 24" deep, used in
combination with a desk for additional storage. Storage credenzas have center storage
areas. Kneespace credenzas have kneespace areas for greater accessibility.
Design for Environment (DfE) - A term describing techniques used to
design products with consideration for their environmental impact. DfE seeks to discover
product innovations that will meet cost and performance objectives while reducing
pollution and waste throughout the life cycle.
Design for Disassembly - The design and engineering of a product so
that it can be dismantled for easier maintenance, repair, recovery and reuse of components
or materials.
Directional Fabric - A fabric with a pattern that must be carefully
matched to be aesthetically pleasing.
Double Pedestal Desk - A worksurface with pedestals at both ends
of the unit.
Drawer Configuration - The pattern or layout of drawers within a
pedestal. Often seen as box/box/file or file/file.
Emission - The release of any gas, particle or vapor into the environment.
End Panels - Slab end vertical panels that help support the worksurface,
located at each end of a desk.
Environmental Management System (EMS) - A systematic approach to dealing
with the environmental aspects of an organization. It is a 'tool' that enables an organization
of any size or type to control the impact of its activities, products or services on the
natural environment. See ISO 14001.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - The U.S. federal government
organization that sets and enforces environmental regulations nationwide.
www.epa.gov
Ergonomics - Refers to one's relation to and interaction with the working
environment. In seating, this term more specifically relates to offering the seated individual
proper support and the adjustments that will allow for comfort during a variety of tasks.
Executive Chair - A high back chair designed for the person who spends much
time seated at a desk. Usually sets upon a 5-prong base which is fitted with casters.
Expanded Vinyl - A thick vinyl which employs a woven fabric backing and is
impregnated with color. It complies with most fire codes.
File Drawer - A drawer that is generally 12" to 13" inches in height.
This drawer is deep enough to support hanging file folders.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) - A non-profit organization devoted to
encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests. FSC certification is available
to landowners or companies that sell timber or forest products, to establish that they have
practiced forestry consistent with Forest Stewardship Council standards.
www.fsc.org
Formaldehyde - Industrial chemical used to make other chemicals, building
materials, and household products. It is one of the large families of chemical compounds
called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It can be used in adhesive for pressed wood
products, preservatives in some paints and coatings, certain insulation materials, etc.
It is a colorless, strong-smelling gas.
Full-to-Floor Pedestals - When pedestals extend to the floor below the
worksurface.
Furniture Emission Standard (FES) - Voluntary testing and conformance
standards developed by ANSI/BIFMA to measure the emission levels of furniture. Known as
ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 Low-Emitting Furniture and Seating. Utilization of FES is recognized in
LEED-CI under the Environmental Quality credit for low emitting furniture.
Ganging - The method of joining individual elements into one unit.
Graining - The process of printing a natural woodgrain pattern onto
another surface that may or may not be wood product. National Office Furniture does not
use this process on any product.
Green Energy - Sources of energy considered to be environmentally
friendly and non-polluting.
Greenguard - A certification and labeling program for interior products
that addresses indoor air quality.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) - Gases in the atmosphere which reduce the loss
of heat into space (especially carbon dioxide). This gas buildup contributes to global
temperatures through the Greenhouse Effect.
Grommet - A plastic or metal covering for an opening primarily in casegood
tops for routing wires and cords away from the worksurface.
Guest Chair - Often referred to as Guest Conference or Side Chair,
is a chair used by those who visit an office for the purpose of a meeting or conference.
Design possibilities include a fixed base with glides, four-leg model, sled base, or
cantilever base.
High Pressure Laminate (HPL) - Produced by taking several layers
of phenolic resin impregnated kraft paper, overlaid with either a woodgrain or solid
color paper and a plastic cap sheet, sandwiched together and pressed in a heat-up
and cool-down cycle at approximately 300 degrees F and 1,200 psi. and is then adhered
to core board.
Hub Liner - A self-lubricating nylon liner which prevents excessive
side-to-side wobble in the chair, thereby protecting the spindle from wearing against
the base hub.
Indoor Air Quality - A term used to describe the characteristics
of the indoor climate of the building with special concern for the impact on occupant
health.
Indoor Advantage - An air quality certification from Scientific
Certification Systems (SCS) that ensures products meet the accepted criteria for VOC
emissions established by ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 Low-Emitting Furniture and Seating.
Certification conforms to USGBC LEED-CI for EQ4.5.
www.scscertified.com/ecoproducts/indoorairquality/indooradvantage.html
Indoor Advantage Gold - An air quality certification from Scientific
Certification Systems (SCS) that conforms to the same standards as Indoor Advantage,
as well as additional conformance to USGBC LEED-CI for EQ4.1, EQ4.2, EQ4.4,
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), California 01350 Special
Environmental Requirements and the California Department of General Service (DGS)
Indoor Air Quality Specifications for Open Panel Office Furniture.
www.scscertified.com/ecoproducts/indoorairquality/indooradvgold.html
ISO 14001 - The standard within the ISO 14000 series that specifies
the requirements of an environmental management system. It was developed by the
International Standards Organization, a non-governmental organization that is
chartered to develop voluntary technical standards that aim to make the development,
manufacture and supply of goods safer, cleaner and more efficient.
Knee Tilt Mechanism - A control mechanism that allows a chair to move
vertically from the front portion of the seat.
L Unit - Consists of a single pedestal desk with one storage pedestal
and a connecting "return", also with one storage pedestal. An L unit is designated
"right" or "left" depending on the placement of the return.
LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A voluntary
nationwide green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC). LEED is a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and
operation of green buildings. There are four levels of LEED certification for new
buildings-Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Certification is based on a point
system with points awarded for performance in categories of water, energy, materials,
indoor environment, innovation in materials and sustainable sites.
www.usgbc.org/leed
level® - A third-party certification that ensures
products meet the requirements of the multi-faceted BIFMA e3 Sustainability Standard.
level® can be designated as 1, 2 or 3, with 3 being the most stringent.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - The comprehensive examination of a
product's environmental and economic effects and potential impacts throughout its
lifetime including raw material extraction, transportation, manufacturing, use,
and disposal.
Lumbar - The vertebrae section between the thoracic vertabrae and
sacrum. The "small" of your back.
Management Chair - A midback chair designed for the person who
spends much time seated at a desk. Usually sets upon a 5-prong base fitted with
casters.
Mechanism - The part of a chair that connects the seat assembly
to the base. The mechanism allows adjustments such as tilt, swivel seat height,
etc., to provide the user with optimum comfort and productivity.
Mid-Pivot - A control in which the pivot point is located towards
the front of the seat, allowing minimal rise of the front seat edge.
Non-Directional Fabric - A fabric which will appear smooth, with
no visible pattern.
Non-Expanding Vinyl - A thin vinyl where the color is on the
surface only. Althought fairly durable, it does not meet the same flammability
codes as expanded vinyl.
Overhang - Produced by recessing the modesty panel; when the worksurface
overhangs the modesty panel. Overhangs vary from 6" to 11". Allows the
visitor to position a chair close to the desk.
Pedestals - Storage components which consist of drawers in
various configurations.
Pneumatic Lift - A lever located beneath the seat that utilizes
a gas cylinder to quickly raise or lower the seat height.
Post Consumer Recycled Content - Material that has been recovered
after its use as a consumer product and is used to make another product. Examples
include tennis shoes used to make playground surfaces or aluminum soda cans recovered
to make more.
Posture Control - Allows the backrest to tilt independently of the
seat, allowing for adjustments in back pitch.
Pre-Consumer Recycled Content - Left-over or scrap material
generated by a manufacturing process that is collected and reused to make new
products. An example is fabric scraps from an upholstering process that are used
to make automotive insulation.
Rapidly Renewable Materials - Materials that can be harvested
within 10 years. Cork, bamboo and whiteboard are examples.
Recyclability - The ability of a product or material to be
recovered from, or otherwise diverted from, the solid waste stream for the purpose
of recycling.
Recycled Product - A product made in whole or part from material
recovered from the waste stream.
Renewable Energy - Energy derived from sources that do not become
depleted such as the sun, wind, ocean, biomass, and heat from the earth's interior.
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) - A third-party provider
of certification, auditing and testing services, and standards, founded in 1984.
SCS offers the Indoor Advantage, Indoor Advantage Gold and Sustainable Choice
certification programs.
www.scscertified.org
Seat Suspension - A system that supports the upper part of the
seat assembly.
Sheen Level - The degree of luster of the finishing materials,
usually topcoats.
SILVERGUARD® - A natural, environmentally
friendly, bacteria-fighting defense to inhibit odor and stain causing
bacteria, plus the SILVERGUARD® technology is EPA registered
and FDA approved. SILVERGUARD® stays fresh and lasts long
due to the proprietary manufacturing process which promotes a controlled
release of antimicrobial properties. It continues to provide its
bacteria-fighting protection after repetitive cleanings. The elemental
protection of silver in SILVERGUARD® is an antimicrobial
agent. It is safe and efficient in diminishing odors, promoting freshness,
and extending the life cycle of a product by attacking bacteria and other
destructive organisms.
Suspension - The system that is used to support the drawer and
facilitate its movement in and out of the pedestal. General capabilities are
3/4 suspensions and full suspensions.
Sustainability - "Meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Sustainability Standard (SS) - An open, consensus-based method
to evaluate the sustainable attributes of furniture. Developed by BIFMA. SS
covers multiple aspects including raw materials, manufacturing, transportation,
product usage, reuse/recycle, and product disposal.
www.bifma.org/public/SusFurnStd.html
Sustainable Packaging - Pack that maximizes the use of
recycled material, and is healthy and safe for individuals throughout its
life cycle.
Swivel Tilt - A mechanism that allows the chair to rotate
or swivel side-to-side as well as tilt back.
Synchronous Control - Allows the back and seat to move in
a synchronized 2 to 1 ratio motion.
Task Chair - A chair designed to support individuals who
perform task-intensive functions such as data input or technical writing.
Usually sets upon a 5-prong base which is fitted with casters.
Terratex - A registered trademark of True Textiles. Each
Terratex fabric must meet these four criteria: Made of 100% post-consumer
and/or pre-consumer fiber, or compostable material; Made using processes
that reduce waster, emissions, energy water usage, and toxic by-products;
Meets or exceeds the same quality standards of fabrics manufactured using
virgin materials and conventional processes; Made of a single fiber type,
without backcoating, so that it too can be recycled or composted.
Thermally Fused Laminate (TFL) - Produced by a single
melamine resin impregnated sheet thermofused directly to the core board
at approximately 320 degrees F and 350 psi. During the process, the resins
liquify and flow, thermofusing the woodgrain sheet to the core (there is
no glue line) and because the resins are fully impregnated into the overlay
sheet, they produce a hard, durable laminate face.
Tilt Tension Control - Regulates how easily the chair will
tilt. It is adjusted to user's body weight.
UV Finish - The use of ultra-violet light to cure a finish.
Characteristics of UV finish include excellent durability and reduced emissions.
USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council. A non-profit organization
consisting of professionals from the building industry devoted to promoting
buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places
to live and work. USGBC developed the LEED certification guidelines.
www.usgbc.org
Veneer - Thin sheet of wood sliced or sawn from a log, bolt
or flitch. Veneer may be referred to as a ply when assembled into a panel.
VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds. Materials that are emitted
as gases from certain solids or liquids. Consistently found higher indoors,
VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and
long-term adverse health effects.
Worksurface - The top of the desk.
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