FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS 1912  
First Edition  
2018-mm-dd  
 
 Reference number 
FDUS 1912: 2018 
© UNBS 2018  
  
Furniture — Composite office table — Specification   
 FDUS 1912:2018 
ii © UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself c onfer immunity from legal obligations 
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all n ecessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2018   
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Uganda 
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 FDUS 1912:2018 
© UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved  iii
 Foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a par astatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws  of Uganda, as amended.  UNBS is mandated to co-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Stan dardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentar ius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried o ut through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards  in a given field or area and consists of key stake holders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, pr ivate sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Com mittee are widely circulated to stakeholders and th e 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standard s 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by  the National Standards Council. 
The committee responsible for this document is Tech nical Committee UNBS/TC12, Furniture.   
 
 FINAL DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD FDUS 1912:2018 
 
1 © UNBS 2018  – All rights reserved
 Furniture — Composite office tables — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Final Draft Uganda Standard covers the require ments of materials, sizes, construction and finish for 
composite office tables . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their  content 
constitute requirements of this document. For dated  references, only the edition cited applies. For un dated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced do cument (including any amendments) applies. 
ISO 1520, Paints and varnishes — Cupping test 
ISO 2009, Slotted countersunk flat head screws — Product grad e A 
ISO 4624, Paints and varnishes — Pull-off test for adhesion  
ISO 4950-1, High yield strength flat steel products — Part 1: G eneral requirements   
ISO 6860, Paints and varnishes — Bend test (conical mandrel)  
ISO 11503, Paints and varnishes — Determination of resistance to humidity (intermittent condensation) 
ISO 12633-1, Hot-finished structural hollow sections of non-allo y and fine grain steels — Part 1: Technical 
delivery conditions  
ISO 15184, Paints and varnishes — Determination of film hardne ss by pencil test 
ISO 16925, Paints and varnishes — Determination of the resista nce of coatings to pressure water-jetting  
 ISO 28762 , Vitreous and porcelain enamels -- Enamel coatings applied to steel for writing surfaces -- 
Specification 
US EAS 184: 2011, Emulsion paints – Specification  
US ISO 6361-1, Wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys — Sheets, st rips and plates — Part 1: Technical 
conditions for inspection and delivery 
US ISO 6362-1, Wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys — Extruded r ods/ bars, tubes and profiles — Part 
1: Technical conditions for inspection and delivery  
  
2 © UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved
 3 Material requirements 
3.1 Aluminum sheets  
Aluminum sheets shall conform to US ISO 6361-1. 
3.2 Aluminum tubes 
Aluminum tubes shall conform to US ISO 6362-1. 
3.3 Mild steel sheets  
Mild steel sheets shall conform to ISO 4950-1 . 
3.4 Mild steel tubes 
Mild steel tubes shall conform to ISO 12633-1. 
4 Types 
Composite office tables shall be of the following t wo types: 
a) table with single storage unit; and 
b) table with double storage unit. 
5 Dimensions and tolerances 
5.1 Dimensions  
5.1.1 Table tops  
The overall dimensions of wooden table tops for com posite office tables shall be as given in Table 1. 
Table 1 — Overall dimensions of table tops 
S/No Length 
mm Width 
mm Thickness  
mm 
i.  1 200 600 20 
ii.  1 350 750 20 
iii.  1 500 900 20 
iv.  1 800 900 20 
 
5.1.2 Height  
The height of the composite office table shall be 7 50 mm ±10 mm. 
5.1.3. A tolerance of ± 6 mm on length and width an d ± 5 % in thickness shall be permitted. FDUS 1912:2018 
© UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved  3
 5.1.4 Knee Space Dimensions. 
5.1.4.1 Knee-Space Width 
A minimum knee-space width of 560 mm clear of obstr uction shall be provided . 
5.1.4.2 Knee-Space Height  
The knee-space height shall be made up of the heigh t of the seat of the chair and the vertical clearan ce 
between the seat of the chair and underside of the table. The minimum vertical clearance between the s eat of 
the chair and the underside of the table shall be 2 30 mm .minimum  
6 Fabrication 
6.1 Components 
Composite office tables shall be assembled from the  components given in 6.2 to 6.4. 
6.2 Table tops  
The wooden table tops used for composite office tabl es shall be of sizes as given in Table 1.   
6.3 Wooden table tops  
The wooden table tops shall be made from particlebo ards, blockboards, medium density fibreboards or 
plywood and shall be lipped all round to cover the full thickness of tops with plastic beading or seas oned teak 
wood strips or decorative plastic laminate strips. The tops shall be overlayed either with decorative veneered 
surface wax polished or of decorative plastic lamin ates or ‘Epoxy’ finished. The wooden frame shall be  fitted 
with a steel frame at the bottom so as to fasten th e top with the body pedestal and frame. The steel f rame 
shall be made from mild steel sheet not less than 1  mm thick. 
6.4 Storage units  
6.4.1  The storage units shall be of the following three types (see Figure 1):  
a) three-drawer unit, 
b) locker unit, and 
c) drawer and filing unit. 
6.4.2  Each storage unit shall be fit table to any table.  First size of table top (see Table 1) shall be use d for 
tables with single storage unit; and second, third and fourth sizes of table tops shall be used for ta bles with 
double storage unit . 
  
4 © UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved
 
 
 
6.4.3 Body for storage unit  
Shall be made from mild steel sheet not less than 0 .8 mm thick. This shall be bent to box shape-from o ne 
piece and tack welded at final overlapped corner or  assembled with a maximum of two pieces properly we lded 
depending upon the design. Lipped flanges shall be provided in the front and back portion and shall be  bent 
inside to seat the back. The back shall be push fit  and tack welded to the body.  
6.5 Drawers  
The drawers shall be made from mild steel sheet not  less than 0.63 mm thick and shall have a slot and a mild 
steel sheet strip at the rear for holding the drawe r in the box when it is fully opened . FDUS 1912:2018 
© UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved  5
 6.6 Filing Unit  
This shall be similarly made as drawer but shall be  fitted with suspension cradle strips in pairs exte nding over 
the depth of drawer. The cradle strips shall be mad e from mild steel suitably finished or cladded with  
aluminum sheet not less than 0.8 mm thick . 
6.7 Drawer Guides 
The drawers shall have either sheet angle guides or  ball bearing type guides so that drawers shall mov e 
easily. The guide angles shall be made from mild st eel sheet not less than 1.25 mm thick . 
6.8 Locker Door  
The locker door shall be made from mild steel sheet  not less than 0.8 mm thick and shall be properly s tiffened. 
This shall have lipped flanges all around its sides . This shall be properly hinged and shall have a ke y slot in 
the front . 
6.9 Locker Shelf  
The locker shelf shall be made from mild steel shee t not less than 0.8 mm thick and shall have lipped flanges 
on its front and rear sides. This shall be seated o n the supports welded to box and shall be located i n the 
centre of the inside height of box to make two equa l compartments . 
6.10 Locking Mechanism  
There shall be a suitable locking mechanism at the back side of drawers which shall so operate that al l 
drawers in drawer unit and drawer-cum filing unit s hall be firmly locked, when the top drawer is close d. The 
top drawer shall be fitted with a  lock . 
6.11 Footrest  
The footrest shall be minimum of 1.6 mm thick mild steel sheet or tubular pipe . 
6.12 Knee cover  
The double storage unit tables with square tubular pedestals shall be fitted with knee cover and shall  be made 
from mild steel sheet not less than 0.8 mm thick. 
6.13 Pull-out slide 
 This is a slide with forward action. The pull-out s lide shall be made from mild steel sheet not less t han 1.0 mm 
thick and shall have flanges in the front and on si des . 
6.14 Tubular pedestal 
6.14.1 Mild steel tubular pedestal  
This shall be made from mild steel tubular pipes wi th a wall thickness of not less than 1.2 mm. The mi ld steel 
tubular pipe shall be either round or square in sec tion with outside diameter/side not less than 25 mm . 
6.14.2 Aluminum tubular pedestal 
This shall be made from aluminum tubular pipe with a wall thickness of not less than 160 mm. The alumi num 
tubular pipe shall be either round or square in sec tion with outside diameter/side not less than 25 mm .  
6 © UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved
 6.15 Handles  
All drawers and locker doors shall be fitted with a  corrosion-resistant metal handle which shall be fi xed to the 
front of drawer/locker door or a built-in pull mech anism . 
6.16 Lock  
The lock used for drawers and locker door shall con form to US1670 The lock shall not be less than six lever 
lock with duplicate keys of non-corrosive material . 
6.17 Studs  
Studs for tubular pedestals shall be made either fr om rubber or suitable plastic material . 
7 Assembly 
The components shall be assembled by means of screw ing, bolting or welding. 
8 Finish 
8.1 Steel Components 
8.1.1 All dents, burrs and sharp edges shall be rem oved from the various components and they shall be 
pickled, scrubbed and rinsed to remove grease, rust , scale or any other foreign elements.  
8.1.2  After pickling, all mild steel parts shall be give n phosphating treatment in accordance with ISO 9567  
followed by a coat of suitable primer, such as red oxide and zinc chromate. 
8.1.3  Two coats of enamel paint shall then be applied as  follows: 
a) undercoat, conforming to US EAS 184; and 
b) finish coat with enamels conforming to ISO 28762  and in case of stoving enamel the components 
shall thereafter be backed at a specified temperatu re in an oven heated uniformly The finish shall be 
smooth and uniform with a hard and tough film of en amel  strongly adhering to the surface. The finish 
shall be free from all visible defects and shall no t chip when tapped lightly with a dull pointed 
instrument.  
8.2 Powder coating may be done: on the mild steel comp onents if required by the purchaser.  
8.4 Aluminum components may be anodized if required by  the purchaser.   
9 Performance requirements of finish 
9.1 Scratch hardness test 
Use ISO 15184. 
9.2 Pull off adhesion test 
Use ISO 4624.  FDUS 1912:2018 
© UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved  7
 9.3 Resistance of coating to pressure water jetting  test 
Use ISO 16925. 
9.4 Resistance to humidity (intermittent condensati on) test 
Use ISO 11503. 
9.5 Bend test  
Use ISO 6860. 
9.6 Cupping test 
Use ISO 1520. 
10 Packing 
All the components shall be packed in such a way th at no damage is caused to them during transit. 
11 Information to be supplied by the purchaser 
The purchaser shall supply the following informatio n to the manufacturer/supplier along with the order : 
a) type and size of table top required; 
b) type and number of storage units required; 
c) type of tubular pedestal required; 
d) colour of finish required; and 
e) where alternative method of construction and fin ish are specified they shall be clearly stated in t he 
order. 
12 Marking 
12.1 All metal tables and keys shall be legibly and inde libly marked in ink with  
a) name, address/trademark of the manufacturer,  
b) name of the product, and  
c) Country of origin.   
12.2 The keys shall bear the identification number and t he locks shall have the same identification number 
as the keys. 
  
  
8 © UNBS 2018 – All rights reserved
 Bibliography 
IS 8126 (1993), Composite office tables: Furniture 
 FDUS 1912: 2018 
9 © UNBS 2018  – All rights reserved
 Certification marking 
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be ma rked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below .  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those lic ensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conj unction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation t o a product is an assurance that the goods comply w ith the 
requirements of that standard under a system of sup ervision, control and testing in accordance with th e 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bu reau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda  
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 FDUS 1912: 2018 
 
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