Do you want the short answer? YES!

Long answer? Keep reading below to find out.

Being up on a mining camp site, the furniture must be heavy duty to withstand the rigours of the environment. The furniture needs to be strong and sturdy, whilst still managing to stay presentable and stylish.

A common misconception is that heavy duty furniture must be ugly. This is not always the case. We believe that furniture can be both stylish and commercial quality. Whilst the furniture might not have all the features and ‘prettiness’ of domestic grade furniture, it can still look nice. There are different options with commercial grade furniture, and if you decide to move forward with furniture that is higher on the price ladder, it will be furniture that is more modern and neater looking.

Another reason for commercial grade furniture is liability. If something goes wrong involving your furniture and it isn’t commercial grade, you will be liable. This can result in lengthy and expensive lawsuits. Having commercial grade furniture is in your best interest.

The mining camp environment is one in its own bracket. It takes strong furniture to hold up under the pressures that the industry presents.

Heavy Duty Furniture to withstand the environment

With the extensive use that the furniture gets up on site, it needs to be heavy duty to stand up to the use and stand the test of time. A lot of the furniture that is used in mining accommodation camps is used up to three or more times a day. This is usually the case in the dining halls or recreation rooms.

With men and women constantly pulling the chairs out, sliding into the booths and lounges, and leaning on the tables, they can cop a lot of damage purely from the continuous use. Being hit, scraped, pulled, and pushed, the furniture can become scratched and damaged easily. If the furniture isn’t of commercial grade and heavy duty, it can break easily and therefore need to be replaced more often than if the furniture is heavy duty. Not only does furniture that isn’t heavy duty break easily, but it also can cause issues when it is being cleaned.

Cleaning Requirements

As the cleaning requirements have become stricter since the COVID-19 pandemic, we are finding furniture is being cleaned far more often. With cleaners coming in between shifts, the furniture is in a constant rotation of employee use and cleaning. Cleaning chemicals can be harsh on the furniture and can strip layers back if the furniture is not of a high enough grade. And that is talking about the average cleaning products.

More often than not, the cleaning products that are used on accommodation camp sites are far harsher than the average ones used in hospitality or domestic scenes. The harsher chemicals are used as the sites get far dirtier and dustier as compared to other commercial areas. These harsher chemicals are tougher on the dirt and the furniture. Once again, this is why commercial grade furniture is required.

Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor furniture particularly needs to be of commercial grade. As the furniture is placed outdoors, it is required to withstand the harsh elements that the Australian weather tends to throw our way. The hot sun, heavy winds and strong storms all cause issues when it comes to outdoor furniture, and this can be more of a problem if your furniture isn’t heavy duty.

Your heavy-duty outdoor furniture should be UV stable to withstand the heat and stop it from fading or becoming brittle in the sun. If you are based in a cyclone-prone area, you may want to think about using furniture that can be bolted down to stop it from being blown away. Read more about outdoor furniture here.

For these reasons we would most definitely recommend that you use commercial grade, heavy duty furniture in your mine site accommodation camp. If you’re looking for some ideas or not sure where to start with your new furniture, give us a call. We’d love to hear from you!