BS EN 747:2024 is the current British and European safety standard for bunk beds and high beds intended for domestic and many non-domestic applications. It replaces the previous 2012 standards and their 2015 amendments, introducing more detailed requirements for guardrails, access systems, openings, structural strength, stability, marking and product information.

This is not a minor wording update. Both parts of the standard were substantially revised, with new requirements and test procedures affecting product design, laboratory assessment, documentation, procurement and ongoing quality control.

For manufacturers, importers, contract furniture suppliers, accommodation operators and procurement teams, the important question is no longer simply whether a bunk bed was previously tested to BS EN 747. It is whether the exact product configuration has been properly assessed against the current 2024 edition and whether that edition actually covers the product’s intended use.

This guide explains the standard’s scope, the major changes and the practical implications for the bunk-bed industry.

What is BS EN 747:2024?

The standard consists of two linked documents.

The two parts must be considered together. Part 1 states what the product is required to achieve, while Part 2 defines how those requirements are assessed.

Both British editions were published by BSI on 31 March 2024. They implement EN 747-1:2024 and EN 747-2:2024 in the United Kingdom without technical alteration.

The previous editions, BS EN 747-1:2012+A1:2015 and BS EN 747-2:2012+A1:2015, were withdrawn in March 2024. Manufacturers and buyers should therefore ensure that current specifications and test reports refer to the 2024 editions rather than continuing to cite the withdrawn standards.

Which bunk beds are covered?

BS EN 747:2024 covers bunk beds and high beds intended for domestic and non-domestic use when all the following dimensional conditions apply.

• The internal bed length is greater than 1,400 mm.
• The maximum bed-base width is 1,200 mm.
• The upper surface of at least one bed base is 600 mm or more above the floor.

The standard defines a bunk bed as two beds positioned one above the other where the upper surface of one bed base is at least 600 mm above the floor.

A high bed has one elevated bed base at least 600 mm above the floor, irrespective of how the space below it is used.

This means that the standard covers more than residential children’s furniture. Subject to the exact design and intended use, it can also cover two-tier bunk beds supplied to hostels, hotels, boarding accommodation, residential schools, activity centres, holiday accommodation, staff housing and other contract environments.

The tests represent the normal use and reasonably foreseeable misuse of a product occupied by one adult per bed. This is important for the contract furniture sector, where bunk beds may be used by adults even though several dimensional safety provisions are intended to reduce risks to children.

Products and applications outside the standard’s scope.

BS EN 747:2024 does not apply to every elevated sleeping product.

The standard expressly excludes bunk beds and high beds designed for special purposes, including, but not limited to:

• Prisons and correctional facilities.
• Military accommodation.
• Fire-brigade accommodation.
• Other applications requiring a specialised design that falls outside ordinary domestic or non-domestic use.

The distinction must be based on the product’s intended purpose, not simply the name of the building where it is installed. A standard commercial bunk bed used in general staff accommodation may fall within the standard, while a reinforced anti-ligature, custodial or military bed may not.

The complete standard also does not cover bunk beds containing more than two vertically arranged beds. A triple bunk bed therefore sits outside the defined product scope of EN 747 as a complete assembly.

This does not mean that a triple bunk bed or specialist bunk bed can be supplied without a safety assessment. It means that claiming full compliance with BS EN 747:2024 may not be technically appropriate for the complete product. Such products require a documented, product-specific approach based on their construction, foreseeable users, environment, installation method and contractual requirements. Relevant principles or individual tests from BS EN 747 may still inform that assessment, but they do not automatically place the complete product inside the standard’s scope.

Where a bunk bed incorporates a desk, storage unit, electrical outlet or other furniture, the relevant standards for those additional components may also apply.

The main changes from BS EN 747:2012+A1:2015.

The 2024 edition was fully revised. The official change summary identifies amendments across construction, access, testing and information supplied with the product.

1. A more precisely defined scope.

The scope now clearly combines the dimensional limits and the 600 mm bed-base height threshold. The definitions of bunk beds, high beds and upper beds are also more closely aligned with that scope.

This is relevant when deciding whether an unusual design can legitimately be assessed and described as complying with the standard.

2. New and expanded terminology.

The revised standard adds or develops definitions for:

• High beds.
• Upper beds.
• Treads.
• Completely bound openings.
• Partially bound openings.
• Means of access.
• Handrails.

This is more important than it may appear. Clear definitions reduce ambiguity when assessing whether an opening, step, platform or rail must meet a particular requirement.

3. Improved material requirements.

Material-related requirements have been strengthened. A product must be assessed as a complete construction rather than on the assumption that a particular material is inherently safe.

Metal, timber and combined-material bunk beds are assessed against the applicable performance requirements. Compliance is therefore about the finished design, its connections and its behaviour during testing, not simply the material from which it is made.

4. More detailed control of protruding parts.

Vertically protruding parts can create snagging, entanglement and impact hazards. The revised standard adds requirements addressing accessible protrusions above the lower part of the bed.

This affects features such as:

• Extended corner posts.
• Decorative finials.
• Exposed frame members.
• Hooks and hanging points.
• Projecting ladder or guardrail components.

A visually minor design feature can therefore have a significant effect on compliance.

5. Expanded requirements for holes, gaps and openings.

The 2024 standard provides more detailed requirements for accessible holes, partially or completely bound openings and gaps between components.

These provisions are intended to reduce risks including:

• Finger entrapment.
• Limb entrapment.
• Head and neck entrapment.
• Clothing or cord entanglement.
• Trapping between a mattress, bed base, guardrail or frame component.

The assessment is performed using defined probes and test methods rather than informal measurement alone.

Selected dimensional requirements include limits on gaps between bed-base components and between the bed base and surrounding structures. For example, gaps between bed-base components such as slats must not exceed 75 mm, while clearances between the bed base and the side or end structure must not exceed the applicable 25 mm limit when tested.

These figures should not be treated in isolation. Different types and locations of openings are assessed using different probes, forces and acceptance criteria.

6. More detailed bed-base requirements.

The bed base is now addressed in greater detail, including its attachment, ventilation, clearances and resistance to failure or detachment.

The construction must prevent the side rails from bending outwards in a way that could allow the bed base or its components to fall. Bed-base elements must remain secure during the applicable static, impact and durability tests.

The revised requirements also address ventilation. This is particularly relevant where solid panels or closely spaced components are used beneath the mattress.

For two-tier beds, the distance between the upper surface of the lower bed base and the underside of the upper bed base must provide the required clearance. The applicable minimum is 750 mm.

7. Stronger requirements for upper-bed safety barriers.

All upper beds require continuous safety barriers, subject only to controlled openings needed for access and egress.

The revised standard provides more detailed requirements covering:

• Barrier height.
• Barrier continuity.
• The position and dimensions of access openings.
• Gaps within and around the barrier.
• Retention-element spacing.
• Structural integrity under load.
• The relationship between the barrier and the mattress.

The distance between the upper edge of a safety barrier and the upper surface of the bed base must be at least 260 mm.

More importantly for everyday use, the top of the mattress must remain at least 160 mm below the upper edge of the safety barrier. This is why mattress thickness is a safety-critical specification and not merely a comfort choice.

An access opening in the guardrail is generally required to be between 300 mm and 400 mm wide within the defined measurement area. Oversized or poorly positioned openings can increase fall and entrapment risks.

The revised test programme includes additional horizontal static-load and strength tests for safety barriers.

8. Expanded requirements for ladders and other access systems.

The standard now uses the broader concept of a means of access. This may include a ladder, stairs or access through a properly designed platform.

The requirements consider:

• The position of the access system.
• Tread dimensions and spacing.
• Openings around the access system.
• Foot placement.
• Hand support.
• Attachment to the bed.
• Deflection under load.
• Structural strength.
• Foreseeable misuse.

An upper bed must have at least one distinct means of access. Where more than one is provided, their arrangement must satisfy the relevant separation and safety requirements.

A removable ladder cannot be assumed to comply simply because it appears stable during normal use. Its method of attachment and its behaviour under the specified tests must be considered.

9. New requirements for platforms, stairs and handrails.

Modern contract and domestic bunk-bed designs increasingly use steps or access platforms instead of a conventional ladder. These features receive much more attention in the 2024 edition.

The standard now covers dimensional and structural requirements for:

• Stairs.
• Treads.
• Access platforms.
• Platform barriers.
• Handrails.
• Associated gaps and openings.

BS EN 747-2:2024 adds static and impact tests for handrails, platforms and platform barriers. Manufacturers using stair or platform access should not rely on an older ladder-based assessment.

10. Shear and squeeze points are addressed directly.

Moving or interacting components can create dangerous shear and compression areas.

The revised requirements consider hazards created during normal use and foreseeable movement, including movement between:

• Bed frames and access components.
• Detachable or folding parts.
• Storage components.
• Bed bases and structural members.
• Adjustable or movable mechanisms.

Products incorporating storage, convertible sections or movable furniture require particularly careful assessment.

11. Frame and fastening requirements are more detailed.

The strength and durability provisions assess the complete frame and its fastenings rather than isolated components.

Testing considers whether the bed:

• Breaks or develops hazardous damage.
• Loosens excessively.
• Becomes unstable.
• Allows a bed base or guardrail to detach.
• Develops unsafe deformation.
• Remains fit for continued use after repeated loading.

The tests are designed to represent one adult occupant per bed during normal functional use and foreseeable misuse. They do not create a universal occupant-weight rating for every compliant bed.

A supplier’s stated maximum user weight must therefore be supported by appropriate product evidence. It should not be inferred solely from the fact that a model passed BS EN 747 testing.

12. Stability requirements are more detailed.

Stability is assessed by applying the specified horizontal force at positions most likely to cause overturning.

Where a product does not meet the freestanding stability requirement, it may need to be securely attached to a wall or building structure. The requirement must then be reflected in the product marking, purchase information and installation instructions.

Wall fixing should not be added casually after testing. The fasteners, wall type, fixing points, installation procedure and limitations should form part of the assessed configuration.

13. Detachable bunk beds require secure connections.

Some bunk beds are designed to separate into two single beds. When assembled as a bunk bed, the upper and lower sections must not separate unintentionally.

The joining system must withstand the applicable separation test. Industry guidance describes an additional 500 N force being applied at positions where separation could occur.

A design that can be separated manually without deliberately releasing its joining system may not meet the requirement.

14. Marking requirements have been expanded.

The 2024 standard requires clearer and more permanent product marking.

Applicable information includes:

• The manufacturer’s or importer’s name or trademark.
• The maximum permitted mattress thickness.
• A warning or pictogram stating that the upper bed is unsuitable for children under six years.
• Reference to EN 747-1:2024.
• A wall-fixing warning where attachment to the building is required.

The marking must relate to the tested configuration and remain legible during the product’s expected life.

15. Instructions for use are more detailed.

Instructions are part of the product’s safety system. A structurally sound bed can become unsafe if it is assembled incorrectly, fitted with the wrong mattress or installed without a required wall fixing.

Instructions should clearly address:

• Parts and fixings supplied.
• Tools required for assembly.
• Correct assembly sequence.
• Inspection and tightening of connections.
• Installation of guardrails and access components.
• Required wall attachment.
• Recommended mattress dimensions.
• Maximum mattress thickness.
• Age warnings.
• Prohibited modifications.
• Safe use and foreseeable misuse.
• Periodic inspection and maintenance.
• Replacement of damaged or missing components.

Instructions should be supplied in the appropriate language for the market in which the product is sold.

16. Purchase information is now an explicit requirement.

Critical safety information must be available before purchase rather than appearing only after delivery.

The required information includes the identity and address of the manufacturer or importer, the under-six warning, the recommended mattress dimensions where a mattress is not included and whether the bed must be fixed to a wall.

This affects printed catalogues, online product pages, quotations, tender documents and distributor listings.