The AFRDI Standard 146 - Leather Descriptions Furniture Industry was prepared and released in April 2006 in order to provide the Australian and New Zealand commercial and residential furniture industry with a set of description and performance guidelines for leather, and with particular focus on making this information readily available to the consumer.
In February 2009 the Standard incorporated the addition of:
- An expanded Scope
- Revised definitions for all leather types listed in section 3.3
- An updated list of attributes in section 4
- A revised and expanded labelling requirements section
- An expanded description of the certification program in Appendix 3 and
- Some editorial changes
An Information Kit on leather testing is also available - further information may also be requested from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
List of Leather for Furniture certified to AFRDI Standard 146
Information Kit on Testing Leather for Furniture
Leather Swing Tag and Order Form
Chemical testing
The AFRDI 146 certification program has become recognised throughout Australasia as a means of defining genuine leather, where no local widely accepted offering previously existed. While already physically assessing the qualitative, aesthetic and durability properties of hides intended for use as furniture upholstery, Furntech now wishes to service the leather industry further. Specifically, we wish to address those concerns that have arisen for consumers in recent times relating to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals and hazardous agents within leather. Added substances like unfixed chromium, the biocide Pentachlorophenol (PCP), the preservative Formaldehyde, the finishing solvent N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP), and most especially the anti-mould fungicide Dimethylfumarate (DMF) have been directly blamed overseas for inflicting damage on consumer's health. DMF in particular has been linked to causing severe skin complaints, now known as "sofa dermatitis".
