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Elements of Third-Party Certification. Presented to: The Greener Chemical Products and Processes Joint Committee (NSF/GCI 355). For Discussion Today. NSF International History and Mission NSF Certification Programs Accreditations Third-Party Certification Definitions General Process
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Elements of Third-Party Certification Presented to: The Greener Chemical Products and Processes Joint Committee (NSF/GCI 355)
For Discussion Today • NSF International • History and Mission • NSF Certification Programs • Accreditations • Third-Party Certification • Definitions • General Process • Key Benefits • NSF/GCI 355 • Purpose and Scope • Certification to NSF/GCI 355
History • International public health and safety company • Independent, non-profit, founded in 1944 • Standards developer for food, water and air safety • Product certification, testing, auditing, education and training • World Health Organization Collaborating Center
Mission “Protecting Public Health and Safety Around the World” • Certified 250,000+ products around the globe • Toxicological evaluation of 200,000+ chemicals • Serve 12,000+ companies in 100 countries • Worldwide offices and labs throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America
NSF Certification Programs Farm, Processing, Seafood, Retail, Organic, Food Equipment, Bottled Water, Training and Education Food Safety Drinking Water Additives, Plastics, Plumbing, Systems, Components Water Systems Product Certification, LEED, Carbon Foot Printing, Claims Verification, Greener Chemistry Sustainability Training, Consulting, Testing, GMP Audits, Dietary Supplements Pharmaceutical Pharmaceutical ISO 9001 & 14001, RC14001, Greenhouse Gas Management Systems
NSF’s Center for Sustainable Product Standards NSF Sustainability Standards for Building Products • NSF/ANSI 140 - Commercial Carpets • NSF 336 - Interior Furnishings Textiles • NSF 332 - Resilient Flooring • NSF 347 - Roofing Membranes • NSF 342 - Wall Coverings • BIFMA e3 - Business and Institutional Furniture
NSF Accreditations • 40+ International Accreditations to Demonstrate: • Best interests of Public Health and Safety are always served • Competency is upheld and verifiable • Independence from manufacturers • Compliance with established standards • Authoritative Accreditation Bodies: • American National Standards Institute (ANSI) • ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) • Standards Council of Canada (SCC) • International Accreditation Service (IAS) • For Activities Including: • Consensus Standard Development • Product Certification (ISO Guide 65) • Laboratory Testing (ISO 17025) • Management Systems Registration (ISO 17021)
Consensus Standard Development ANSI Accredited Standard Development Organizations (such as NSF) Ensures due process - any person (individual, organization, company, etc.) with a direct and material interest has a right to participate by: Expressing a position and its basis Having that position considered Having the right to appeal
Consensus Standard Development Requirements of Due Process: Openness Lack of Dominance Balance of interests Notification of standards activity Consideration of views and objections Evidence of consensus Appeals procedures
Definitions CERTIFICATION: Procedure by which a body indicates conformance of a product, process or service to a defined standard, in a publicly available list. CERTIFICATION BODY: Body that conducts certification by operating its own testing and inspection activities or overseeing activities carried out on its behalf. CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT: Activities performed to determine standard requirements are met. • First Party: Voluntary self-assessment performed by a company upon itself. • Second Party: Voluntary assessment performed by a party not under the direct control or within the organizational structure of the company. • Third Party: Voluntary assessment performed by an objective body independent of the parties involved; Synonymous with “Certification Body”.
- Self Contract - between Mfg and Auditor - Certification Body - Government Parties 1st Private 2nd Public (Health Experts, Regulatory, End-Users, Industry) 3rd 4th
What is Certification? To be “Certified” or “Listed” means that NSF has: • Verified the product or process. • Determined at the time of the review that the product or process complies with the relevant Standard. • Conducted or will conduct (as set forth in the Standard or Certification Policies) periodic surveillance to review whether the product or process continues to comply with the Standard.
Manufacturer Submits Application General Certification Process Manufacturer Provide Product / Process Info NSF Reviews Product / Process Info Verification Step (Inspection) Resolve Issues / Non-conformances Continued Surveillance Certification and Listing
Certification Benefits • Manufacturers (Suppliers) • Independent verification of product / process attributes • Encourage a shift towards more sustainable practices • Highlight cost savings and improvement opportunities • Strengthen market position • Public acceptance • Implied transparency • Reduce legal and regulatory exposure • End-Users / Regulatory (Customers) • Assurance that a product / process has been independently verified • Aid in product / process evaluation, comparison and selection • Supply chain risk management
NSF/ GCI 355 Greener Chemical Products and Processes
Purpose of NSF / GCI 355 Phase I: A voluntary American National Standard developed to: • Provide the chemical enterprise with a voluntary and standardized way to define and report on: • Primary categories of information • Their respective data elements, and • Data quality objectives. • Clearly, consistently and transparently communicate this information to customers. • Assist customers in evaluating the relative greenness of a chemical product and process over its life cycle.
Scope of NSF / GCI 355 Focus for Phase 1
Primary Categories NSF / GCI 355 • Greener Chemical Characteristics • Safety (Flammability, etc.) • Health effects • Ecological impact • Greener Chemical Processes • Energy usage • Materials efficiencyand waste prevention • Water usage • Safety (Process safety) • Social Responsibility • Corporate practices / governance
Certification to NSF / GCI 355 • Certification Activities: • Data collection • Verification process • Data reporting • Evidence of conformance – Certification • Surveillance
Key Benefits: • Technical expertise • Ethical, competent personnel • Dedicated project management • Confidential data management and retention • Official Certification Listing (www.nsf.org) • Use of the Certification Mark Why Third-Party Certification?
NSF/GCI 355 is a voluntary consensus standard • Third-party Certification benefits multiple key stakeholders • Third-party Certification encompasses: • Initial conformance assessment • Decision on Certification • Ongoing surveillance • Accreditation verifies a Certification Body’s objectivity, competency and compliance In Summary