Table of Contents
Furniture Testing Procedures
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
PROGRAM STATEMENT
OPI: FPI/OFG
NUMBER: 8450.02
DATE: January 8, 2016
/s/
Approved: Charles E. Samuels, Jr. Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
To establish a furniture testing program that will determine the performance, quality level, compliance with accepted industry test standards, and Federal Prison Industries specifications for all furniture products and vendor components.
Summary of Changes
Policy Rescinded: P8450.01 Furniture Testing Procedures (3/19/99)
Program Objective
The expected result of this program is:
- All furniture manufactured by FPI will meet or exceed prevailing industry test standards.
- All raw materials, components, and manufacturing processes will conform to approved prints and specifications.
RESPONSIBILITIES
References to the AW/SOI in this Program Statement apply to the Factory Manager for factories without an AW (I&E) or SOI.
Manager, Office Furniture Group Product Support Center (OFG-PSC)
- Coordinate and administer the furniture testing program.
- Ensure standard furniture offerings have passed the appropriate tests.
- Determine the appropriate test(s) to be used for specific products/materials.
- Review and approve test reports.
- Develop and maintain a database containing historical test information and results.
- Periodically publish a summary of all testing completed.
- Establish a testing schedule that will ensure sufficient quantities of product are tested.
- Work with factory staff to determine corrective action required in the event of test failure.
- Issue emergency stop production/shipment notices, with Program Management concurrence, in case of test failure that could lead to serious safety concerns for the customer.
Associate Warden (Industries & Education)/Superintendent of Industries (AW/SOI)
- Ensure that FPI furniture products produced at his/her location meet approved drawings/specifications and contract requirements.
- Contact the Manager, OFG-PSC, for a determination of required testing before deviating from approved specifications for a custom order.
- In the case of test failure, implement corrective action and submit additional samples of the product for retesting as directed by the OFG-PSC within 30 days of test failure.
- Ensure that production and shipment immediately ceases on products affected by emergency stop production/shipment notices.
TESTING
The OFG-PSC Product Testing and Quality Manager develops a schedule for product testing based on:
- The capacity of the OFG-PSC test lab.
- New product testing requirements.
- Periodic testing of factory production.
The schedule of periodic testing is based on a specific product’s last test date and the number of factories producing it. The schedule ensures that product from each factory is tested annually.
The OFG-PSC Test Lab issues a Stock Transfer Order to the factory for products scheduled for periodic testing or retesting. The Factory assumes the cost of products ordered for retesting because of an initial test failure.
Upon receipt of test samples, the OFG-PSC Product Testing and Quality Manager assigns a test number for tracking, reporting, and data entry.
The OFG-PSC Product Testing and Quality Manager performs any testing/retesting in accordance with applicable industry test standards. Absent an industry test standard, an FPI test must be developed.
When testing is completed, a report on each test sample is developed documenting:
- The test standards used.
- Results of the test.
- Any corrective action recommended.
Factory or corporate management can request to test a raw material item at any time. Testing of vendor components is usually conducted when a deviation from the original specification for raw materials is requested. A determination to test is made if the new raw material has an effect on the structural integrity or overall quality of the finished item.
Vendor component testing may also be conducted in response to increased failure of vendor components or customer complaints due to failure of vendor components.
SUSPENSION OF MANUFACTURING
In the event of a test failure, the OFG-PSC Manager determines whether such a failure could lead to serious safety concerns. Upon such a determination, and with Program Management concurrence, he/she has authority to issue an emergency notice to the manufacturing facility to cease production and shipment of the product immediately, until the concern is resolved and a replacement item is retested.
If the cause of the failure is determined to be a design flaw, all locations producing the item in question must also be notified to cease production and shipment immediately until the flaw is corrected.
Emergency notices to cease production and shipment must be immediately communicated to the AW/SOI of the affected factories via telephone and confirmed by email. Copies of such notices are retained by the OFG-PSC Test Lab and provided to the:
- Program Manager.
- Appropriate Factory Managers.
- Quality Representative at the affected locations.
REFERENCES
ACA Standards
None.
Records Retention
For requirements and retention guidance applicable to this program, see the Records and Information Disposition Schedule (RIDS) on Sallyport.
Published Feb 8, 2025 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Feb 20, 2025 at 6:17 pm