ENVIRONMENTAL. SOCIAL. GOVERNANCE.
The Australasian Furniture Association places a strong emphasis on supporting and advising Members about their obligations around safety, standards, compliance and regulatory requirements.
We actively support our Members’ with the delivery of programs and services whilst promoting action across the industry to improve the professional reputation and integrity of the furnishing industry.
AFA Members receive support and advice to assist them to be streets ahead of the competition and be responsible, compliant suppliers to minimise risk to their businesses and their clients.
ESG Criteria
Each of the three elements of ESG investing – environmental, social, and governance – is comprised of a number of criteria that may be considered by clients including procurement bodies, socially responsible investors, consumers or companies wanting to work with ESG-friendly organisations.
ESG – Environmental
Environmental criteria include such things as a company’s use of renewable energy sources, its waste management program, how it handles potential problems of air or water pollution arising from its operations, deforestation issues (if applicable), and raw material sourcing.
ESG – Social
Social criteria cover an extremely wide range of potential issues. There are many separate social aspects of ESG, but all of them are essentially about social relationships. One of the key relationships for a company is the company’s relationship with its employees.
Including:
- Fair pay conditions.
- Safe working conditions.
- Career Advancement.
- Access to training.
- Flexible ‘work from home’ conditions.
- Additional benefits and incentives.
ESG – Governance
Governance in the context of ESG is essentially about how advocacy is managed by those in executive positions. How well do executive management and the advisory councils attend to the interests of the association’s various stakeholders – employees, community, suppliers and customers? Regulatory, supply chain and compliance transparency and relevant reporting are considered key elements of good governance.
Want to know more? Lodge your enquiry below or contact the AFA via our Contact Us page.
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LATEST NEWS
AMAZON & EBAY SUBJECT TO RECALLS OF FURNITURE PRODUCTS – ACTION REQUIRED
A further three furniture product safety recalls have been reported this week, with all three posing a potential choking/suffocation hazard to young children. Concerns are increasing over product that is not only unsafe, but that also does not contain the necessary...
Biosecurity and Illegal Logging Free Service
Did you know, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has a free service available to confidentially report information about suspected breaches of Australian biosecurity laws? Redline allows callers to report matters that may not be detected, reported or...
IKEA recall of children’s furniture still on the minds of young families
In recent times the headlines have read ‘IKEA Re-announces recall of MALM and other models of chests and dressers due to serious tip-over hazard; 8th child fatality reported; consumers urged to choose between refund or repair. These headlines have been related to US...
Importers Beware – YOU are legally responsible for the goods YOU import
Are you aware that your business is responsible for any product that you import, manufacture, sell, supply or distribute? This means that you can be held liable for any defect or other condition that renders the product unsafe and results in injury, death or damage....
Consumers put furniture through the Australian Consumer Law test on a regular basis
Sofas that have been falsely sold as ‘leather’, recliner mechanisms that don’t work properly causing injury, lounge cushions that come apart at the seams, complaints handling call centres that refuse to take calls, sub-standard repairs and toxic smells that emit from...
Rise in injury claims for chair accidents at restaurants and other businesses
Each year, thousands of people end up in emergency rooms after serious chair accidents. People fall when chairs collapse, fingers are severed by chairs with jagged edges, hands get crushed between seats and their bases and stems or bases can snap causing serious body...
Australian Border Force seize “Australian made” fakes
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is continuing its operational focus on trade enforcement, seizing ten Chinese-made pianos falsely claiming to be Australian made. Pianos are considered furniture products and as such have the same regulatory requirements as other...
AMAZON may not be the AMAZING solution when it comes to Consumer Safety
Nine in ten Australians said they will purchase from Amazon Australia if it delivers on its lofty promises, according to a study commissioned by parcel delivery service, CouriersPlease. The results of an independent survey of 1,001 Australian adults who have shopped...
Four baby cots recalled in one month
The Australasian Furnishing Association is alarmed to learn that four separate baby cots have been recalled the ACCC in just one month. Even more alarming is the fact that all three were sold online. ‘With the impending launch of Amazon into Australia, we’re concerned...
AUSTRALIAN BEAN BAG REGULATION LOOP HOLES CLOSED : ENSURING CHILDREN’S SAFETY
Bean bags are a comfortable addition to any household, but they can pose a serious risk to young children and babies. In the 1990s, several deaths were reported when children unzipped their bean bags and crawled inside. The children inhaled the small, fibrous pellets...
Fantastic Furniture forced to recall ‘toe-slicing’ chairs
http://www.smh.com.au/national/fantastic-furniture-forced-to-recall-toeslicing-chairs-20160113-gm5598.html
Tipping Furniture Warning
The AFA has been liaising with Government to look into tipping furniture as it poses an ongoing threat to Australians. The AFA is pleased Australia's consumer watchdog has launched a safety investigation into a popular series of drawers by Swedish furniture retailer...
AFA Makes Submission on behalf of Industry Members
The Australian Furniture Association (AFA) welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) on reforming Australia’s Illegal Logging regulations.
ACCC Legislation
The purpose of this letter is to remind AFA Members of the Federal Court of Australia decision following action taken by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) against Woolworths Limited (Woolworths) relating to the supply of unsafe products to...
Couriers and Product Safety – a seller’s obligations
Damage caused in transit can render a product unsafe, create new hazards or increase existing ones. Suppliers must ensure their packaging is fit for purpose, and designed to minimise all risks of damage to maintain the integrity of the product. With the increase of...
Four cots recalled in one month!
The Australasian Furnishing Association is alarmed to learn that four separate baby cots have been recalled by the ACCC in just one month. Even more alarming is the fact that all three were sold online. ‘With the impending launch of Amazon into Australia, we’re...
IMPORTERS BEWARE – YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOODS YOU IMPORT
Are you aware that your business is responsible for any furnishing product that you import, manufacture, sell, supply or distribute? This means that you can be held liable for any defect or other condition that renders the product unsafe and results in injury, death...
What’s the Number One thing you can do really quickly that will help keep you, your family or your business safe?
You can register for product safety recall alerts If you sell products – it pays to be aware of how products fare in your market sector. If a product similar to one that you sell gets recalled it can impact your business. It is illegal to sell recalled products. Most...
ISO guidance on product safety
The International Standards Organisation (ISO) publishes standards on a wide range of topics, including consumer product safety. Members may be aware, for example, of the ISO standard for high chairs – ISO 9221. But ISO also publishes a range of standards and guides...
Review of Mandatory BUNK BED Standards
Manufacturers, Importers, Agents and Retailers were in attendance at the recent AFA Seminar on the Review of the Mandatory Standards for Bunk Beds and how they will be affected by these changes. The Australian Furniture Association hosted this exclusive AFA Member...