Product Standards in the scheme:
EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4/T-1: GREENGUARD Certification Program For Chemical Emissions For Building Materials, Finishes And Furnishings
EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4/T-2: GREENGUARD Certification Program for Chemical and Particle Emissions for Electronic Equipment
EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4/T-3: GREENGUARD Certification Program for Chemical Emissions for Cleaners and Cleaning Maintenance Systems
[Euro Veritas, UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK] provides GLOBAL GREEN-GUARD SAFE Certification as per indigenously developed Procedure / Scheme No- EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4, and does not have any association of any kind- direct or indirect, with any individual or Organization of any sort during the development of the Procedure Scheme- EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4 or for Certification.
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification as per EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4 provides Organizations with a competitive skill-set by serving as a health-based differentiator. Products that are GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certified for low chemical emissions can contribute to the creation of more healthful indoor environments and are scientifically proven to meet some of the world’s most rigorous third-party chemical emissions standards.
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification emissions limits are being used as purchasing specifications for various industries for furniture and commercial building products. GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification criteria have been sometimes, the basis for the LEED credit for low-emitting furniture since 2002. Office furniture products that are GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certified can also easily be compliant with the BIFMA X7.1 standard and BIFMA e3 credit 7.6.1.
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification from [Euro Veritas, UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK]:
The GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification standard includes health and safety-based criteria for added chemicals and also requires lower total VOC emissions levels to ensure that products are acceptable for use in specific environments such as schools and health care facilities and/or such facilities. In addition to limiting emissions of more than 360 VOCs and total chemical emissions, GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certified products must also comply with requirements of Public Health Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers, Version 1.1 (2010) (also known as Section 01350 or CDPH v.1.1-2010). Office furniture products that are GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certified are also compliant with the BIFMA X7.1 standard and BIFMA e3 credits 7.6.1, 7.6.2 and 7.6.3.
Benefits
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification for products helps manufacturers make and market products that contribute to the creation of more safe and healthful indoor environments.
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certified products are recognized, referenced or preferred by many corporate level customers- educational institutions / Healthcare facilities etc, retailers, green building rating tools and building codes around the world.
The GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification mark communicates that representative samples of a product have undergone scientific testing to meet some of the world’s most stringent chemical emissions requirements.
This GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE certification helps reduce indoor air pollution and the potential for airborne chemical exposure.
It gives manufacturers a distinct competitive advantage in a marketplace in which consumers are increasingly concerned about the potential health effects of products.
WHY SHOULD I TRUST A GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE CERTIFICATION?
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification is overseen by [Euro Veritas, UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK]. [Euro Veritas, UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK] is a certification body is approved to perform safety testing through 3rd Party labs (pre-approved) by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. [Euro Veritas, UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK] helps companies support the responsible development and production of safer, more sustainable, and environmentally healthy products. You’ll find the [Euro Veritas, UK (www.euroveritas.com) accreditated from BAR-UK] certification mark on many of your electrical appliances and products.
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification Standards for Low-Emitting Products
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification standards have established performance-based standards to define products and processes with low chemical and particle emissions for use indoors or at ambient conditions. The standards are primarily for building materials, finishes, interior furnishings, furniture, cleaning products and electronic equipment.
The standards establish certification procedures including test methods, allowable emission levels, product sample collection and handling, testing type and frequency as well as program application processes, toxicity limits and acceptance. These are part of the following:
Procedure / Scheme No- EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4.
Product Standards in the scheme:
EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4/T-1: GREENGUARD Certification Program For Chemical Emissions For Building Materials, Finishes And Furnishings
EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4/T-2: GREENGUARD Certification Program for Chemical and Particle Emissions for Electronic Equipment
EVL/GGGS/C-A/6288/P-4/T-3: GREENGUARD Certification Program for Chemical Emissions for Cleaners and Cleaning Maintenance Systems
Allowable Emission Levels
All products are tested either by 3rd Party Lab or In-house, in dynamic environmental chambers following appropriate test methods. The primary test method for most building materials, furniture and finishes is the, “Standard Method for Measuring and Evaluating Chemical Emissions from Building Materials, Finishes and Furnishings Using Dynamic Environmental Chambers."
Other specific GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE test methods are available for electronic equipment and cleaning products.
These methods, and others utilized by the GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification programs, follow guidance of ASTM Standards D-5116 and D-6670, the Environmental Protection Agency's testing protocol for furniture, the protocol for interior furnishings and construction materials, Blue Angel Program, Public Health Services Standard Practice for Specification Section 01350 and the ISO 16000 environmental testing series. Products are measured for chemical and particle emissions, as they are tested to simulate actual product use. Most building materials and furnishings are required to meet allowable emission levels within 14 to 21 days of installation. Other products and processes, including operating electronics and cleaning systems, must meet allowable levels during actual use or the application process.
Exposure Modeling
Measured emission levels are converted by calculation to air concentrations representing what a person will actually breathe. These concentrations are determined based on expected use of the product, amount of product, application process and the indoor building conditions, including building volume and fresh air exchange rate. They are also based on the product being used in a single occupancy room with outdoor air ventilation based on ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality or the USEPA’s recommended exposure factors for residential applications.
Maximum allowable emission levels in air concentrations are those required by the indoor air quality program for new construction, the USEPA's procurements specifications, the recommendations from the World Health Organization, Blue Angel Program, LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) and LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI). Office furniture products meeting these allowable emission levels automatically meet the requirements of LEED 2009 - CI - credit 4.5 and the BIFMA X7.1 industry conformance standard. When multiple emission levels are recommended for products, the lesser, or more stringent, is used as the acceptable emission value for GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification. The specific room model for this program is presented as a “Single Room Exposure Model.”
Certification Standards
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification standards feature emissions standards that are required to be met for GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification. There may also be additional verification requirements, which must be completed before certification can be awarded. After initial certification, there is on-going testing, documentation, and verification processes required for demonstration of consistent product performance.
• Adhesives and Sealants
• Air Filters
• Building Materials
• Cabinetry
• Ceiling Systems
• Children’s Products
• Cleaning and Maintenance Products and Systems
• Commercial Office Furniture
• Countertops
• Doors and Millwork
• Educational Furniture
• Educational Supplies
• Electronics- Print device
• Electronics - Consumer and Office
• Electronics - Medical Devices
• Flooring
• Floor Finish
• Insulation
• Lighting
• Mattresses and Bedding
• Paints and Coatings
• Panels- Free Standing and Wall
• Residential Furniture
• Textiles
• Visual Display Products
• Wallcoverings and Finish
• Window Treatments
Standards
GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE Certification strives to protect human health and quality of life by establishing standards and certification programs to reduce exposure to chemicals and to improve indoor air quality. The GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE standards are among the most stringent indoor air quality standards in the world, and they are based on available standards and guidelines from national and international public health agencies. Not all GLOBAL GREENGUARD SAFE standards are ANSI standards.
