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

NSF International

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

Food SafetyFarm, Processing, Seafood, Retail, Organic, Food Equipment, Bottled Water, Training and Education

Water Systems

Pharmaceutical

Sustainability

Management Systems

Drinking Water Additives, Plastics, Plumbing, Systems, Components

Product Certification, LEED, Carbon Foot Printing, Claims Verification, Greener Chemistry

Training, Consulting, Testing, GMP Audits, Dietary Supplements

ISO 9001 & 14001, RC14001, Greenhouse Gas

Pharmaceutical

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

Accreditation Requirements

DefinedCertification

Processes

OngoingSurveillance

Personnel Qualification

ControlDecision on Certification

Organizational structure

Records and Confidentiality

Quality Systems

NSF

Third-Party Certification

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”.

Parties

Private

Public(Health Experts,Regulatory, End-Users, Industry)

1st

3rd

4th

2nd

- Self

Contract - between

Mfg and Auditor

- Certification Body

- Government

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.

General Certification Process Manufacturer Submits

Application

Manufacturer Provide Product /

Process Info

NSF ReviewsProduct / Process Info

Resolve Issues / Non-conformances

Verification Step(Inspection)

Certification and Listing

Continued Surveillance

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 forPhase 1

Primary Categories NSF / GCI 355

Greener Chemical Characteristics– Safety (Flammability, etc.)– Health effects– Ecological impact

Greener Chemical Processes– Energy usage– Materials efficiency and 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

Why Third-Party Certification?

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

Example Report Summary

In Summary

NSF/GCI 355 is a voluntary consensus standard Third-party Certification benefits multiple key

stakeholders Third-party Certification encompasses:

1. Initial conformance assessment

2. Decision on Certification

3. Ongoing surveillance

Accreditation verifies a Certification Body’s objectivity, competency and compliance

Thank you.

Questions and Discussion….