Filing Cabinet Specifications in Different Countries

In the United States, the primary standard for measuring the vertical file cabinets is the BIFMA (Business Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association). The normal standard for BIFMA is X5.3. The BIFMA used to have a separate standard for lateral file cabinets – X5.2. However, over the years the standard for lateral cabinets was withdrawn. The requirement for a standard issuing authority is a must because it ensures a cabinet’s stability, reliability, durability, and strength to withstand stress.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is also responsible for maintaining standards for vertical and lateral steel filing cabinets. The authority uses A-A-3186 for vertical filing cabinets, while it uses A-A-3187 for the lateral file cabinets.

The GSA defines two different categories of file cabinets in terms of their weight bearing capacity – medium and heavy duty. It considers the BIFMA standard file cabinets under the medium category. Hence, the heavy duty filing cabinets authorized by the GSA have additional performance upgrades. The GSA is the authorizing party responsible for issuing standards for the storage of classified and sensitive materials for both file cabinets and other types of security containers.

In the United Kingdom, there are two different associations responsible for maintaining dimensions and other parameters to evaluate rigidity, safety, security, and construction. These are BS 4438:1969, and BS EN 14073-2:2004. The safety standards closely monitor stability and durability of the cabinet during different positions including: opening all drawers with maximum weight, checking interlock systems to consecutively open two drawers at once, and tilting angle of the cabinet. These parameters govern if the filing cabinet is safe for public usage or not. The Health ad Safety at Work Act covers any accident to the employees caused by a fault in the equipment at work.

In other parts of the Europe, the most commonly used standard is the EN 14073-2:2004. This harmonized standard is widely accepted and promoted by various standards agencies. For example, DIN in Germany.

While in the Australia, all types of filing cabinets should be as accordance to the A S 5079, the latest version of ANSI BIFMA X5.2-1997.