The longtime industry standard governing the flammability of materials used in public seating is no more. California Technical Bulletin (TB) 133 was repealed in January by the California Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI), the governing body responsible for overseeing testing for such materials. Eliminating the outdated regulations of TB 133 allows for more cost effective, environmentally sustainable and aesthetically pleasing public seating.

Why was TB 133 repealed?

Technical Bulletin 133 had been in place since 1991 and mandated an “open flame” test for any furniture that could be used in a public setting. The test, which manufacturers typically passed with heavy use of flame retardant materials, was controversial for multiple reasons.

The test was thought to inaccurately represent the situations in which a fire was likely to spread to furniture. In the nearly three decades since TB 133 went into effect, the furniture manufacturing industry and BEARHFTI developed other standards, like TB 117-2013 that more accurately tested the fire performance standards for furniture used in public settings.

What’s more, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) says TB 133 hadn’t done much in the way of preventing fires.

“BIFMA manufacturers have reviewed fire safety statistics for several years and questioned the need for California TB 133 given no statistical differences between the state of California and other states not requiring TB 133,” said David Panning, Director of Technical Services at BIFMA. “in addition to our furniture industry, the scientific community and firefighters pressed for California to repeal TB 133 given their concern with fire retardant chemicals.”

Many of the flame-retardant materials used in response to TB 133 carried significant health risks. Some, including those often used for furniture in college dormitories, were known carcinogens, forcing a choice between compliance with fire performance standards and health considerations.

For these and other reasons, BEARHFTI determined that TB 133 was obsolete and voted to repeal it in January, a move supported by the scientific community, firefighters and the furniture manufacturing industry.

What does this mean for furniture manufacturers and end users?

While TB 133 is no longer in effect, furniture manufacturers must still comply with TB 116 and TB 117-2013, both of which mandate different testing standards for material flammability.

TB 117-2013 itself is an updated version of a California Technical Bulletin originally passed in 1975. The revised version still employs a modified version of the open flame test in addition to what’s called the Resilient Filling Material Test, which measures how likely filling materials are to ignite in the presence of a smoldering heat source, like a non-filter cigarette. BIFMA considers the test a more than adequate replacement for TB 133. “California TB 117-2013 has been the de facto national standard for six years in both residential and commercial environments for upholstered furniture,” said Panning. “Fire safety statistics continue to show favorable trends which are attributed to relevant furniture standards (and other standards beyond furniture), sprinklers, smoke detection, and cultural views on smoking.”

As a result of these tests, manufacturers and end users may have more flexibility in their material choices. While TB 133 resulted in potentially carcinogenic materials being used regularly in furniture manufacturing, its repeal could open the door to healthier, more environmentally friendly materials gaining wider use.

Eileen Kulish is an Allied Member and the National Accounts Manager for MTS Seating

The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) has joined in a strategic partnership with Venue Solutions Group (VSG) to present/produce the Venue Operations Summit (VOS) beginning in 2020. Building upon five years of success, VSG and IAVM join together to upgrade and enhance the educational offerings at VOS.

The Venue Operations Summit is the only industry conference dedicated to public assembly facility operations/engineering professionals. VOS remains dedicated to providing the highest quality educational, practical, and networking experiences for public assembly facility operations and engineering practitioners. VSG Managing Partner, Russ Simons said, “Our collaboration with IAVM will allow us to offer even greater opportunities to conference attendees from all facility types, we look forward to welcoming attendees to the 2020 fall conference.”

“IAVM is honored to partner with Venue Solutions Group to provide an education and networking program for hands on Director/Manager of Operations, Engineers, Technicians, Tradesmen, and others that get their hands dirty in fulfilling their role in the operations of public venues.” stated Brad Mayne, CVE, IAVM President and CEO. “In most of IAVM member venues, the operations department is the largest department and the summit is aimed to serve this portion of our membership.”

The Venue Operations Summit will be held August 24-26, 2020 in Indianapolis, IN, at the Westin Hotel.  Space will be limited.

For more information, please contact Amy Fitzpatrick, IAVM Director of Marketing, at amy.fitzpatrick@iavm.org.

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by AEG Facilities, recently collected and donated 14.1 tons of remaining event items and 12 tons of carpet to several Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations. The recent donations underscore the LACC’s commitment to zero waste management and service to the community.

Organizations including Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army L.A. Red Shield Youth & Community Center, St. Francis Center and EduCare Foundation received furniture, art supplies, tote bags, fixtures, water bottles, lanyards, clothing and more. Additionally, the LACC donated 72 four-stream recycling bins to The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center in Downtown LA to be used to educate students at schools and camps about how to responsibly dispose of waste.

“The Los Angeles Convention Center has been an outstanding partner for our community,” said Irene Lewis, Director, The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center. “Their dedication has provided impactful services for the children and adults that walk through our doors.”

In addition to donating thousands of hard goods per year, the LACC continues to give back to the community through numerous volunteer opportunities. In 2018, more than 25 employees from the LACC and in-house vendor teams participated in a service day at The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center in the Pico Union district. The volunteers worked with students in an afterschool program by completing arts and crafts projects, tutoring, participating in sports and playing games.

During the LACC’s third annual day of service in 2019, the LACC teamed up with the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) where 30 LACC and Taste of LA by Levy employees prepared and served home-style meals and sorted donations for the Made by DWC retail store and women in need.

This spring, a team of LACC volunteers visited the Hope Street Margolis Family Center to give back to the neighborhood, and a group painted part of the Shaping LA mural by Portraits of Hope that is currently displayed on South Hall’s curved wall facing the 110 freeway.

“The LACC team takes AEG’s mission, ‘giving the world a reason to cheer’ and applies it to the heart of our business approach,” said Ellen Schwartz, General Manager, LACC. “We are a facility committed to impacting the community for the better, continuously seeking ways to reduce our environmental footprint and serve those in need.”

Michelle Riehle-Ludtke is Marketing & Community Relations Specialist for the Los Angeles Convention Center

By Lisa Nagele-Piazza, J.D., SHRM-SCP

Employees who make less than $35,568 are now eligible for overtime pay under a final rule issued today by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The new rate will take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

To be exempt from overtime under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employees must be paid a salary of at least the threshold amount and meet certain duties tests. If they are paid less or do not meet the tests, they must be paid 1 1/2 times their regular hourly rate for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek.

The new rule will raise the salary threshold to $684 a week ($35,568 annualized) from $455 a week ($23,660 annualized). A blocked Obama-era rule would have doubled the threshold, but a federal judge held that the DOL exceeded its authority by raising the rate too high.

To read the full story, click here.

Lisa Nagele-Piazza, J.D., SHRM-SCP is Senior Legal Editor with SHRM

Sports & Entertainment General Manager Barry Geisler will retire after 34 years at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, at the end of the year.

Geisler began his career in 1982 at the Oakland Coliseum and subsequently became an event coordinator at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in California from 1983-85.

He moved to the Washington, D.C. in 1985 to work for Centre Management at the then-Patriot Center as the director of arena administration working for Gary Handleman. Geisler was named Patriot Center GM in 1987.

“It has been a great run and I’m looking forward to working these final three months, making a seamless transition to my successor and then cheering on EagleBank Arena’s continued success,” Geisler said in a release.

“A huge thank you to the many agents, promoters and family show producers who have placed their acts in our venue and have made EagleBank Arena one of the most successful mid-size arenas over the past 34 years.”