CARB Approved TPC Bodies Can Provide Certification on New US Formaldehyde Emissions Standards

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the new rules on formaldehyde emissions for manmade wood products. Under the new regulations, Third Party Certification (TPC) bodies currently approved to provide certification for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) formaldehyde standards will be entitled to provide certification for the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) formaldehyde emissions standard. Permission will be granted for a period of two years without the requirement for further approval. After this period, TPC will require accreditation by the EPA for TSCA Title VI certification.

The grace period will make it easier for manufacturers seeking a certified TPC and benefits continuity as the new set of rules, entitled 40 CFR 770, are based on CARB standards. The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, signed by President Obama in July 2010 amended the TSCA with the addition of Title VI and required the EPA to create regulations on formaldehyde in manmade wood products. After a lengthy period of consultation, new rules have been announced, which will come into effect one year after publication in the Federal Register.

Regulations 40 CFR 770 stipulate requirements for product labeling, compliance documentation, and for the conditions for approval of TPC and Accreditation Bodies (AB). The regulations also set out the requirements for formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products, component parts and finished goods.

Composite wood producers need to be certified through a program that includes product testing for emission standards and production facility inspections, including requirements for processes and record keeping. The emission standards are based on test method ASTM E1333-10, using the following limits:

• Hardwood plywood made with a veneer core or a composite core - 0.05 parts per million (ppm) of formaldehyde
• Medium-density fiberboard - 0.11 ppm of formaldehyde
• Thin to medium-density fiberboard - 0.13 ppm of formaldehyde
• Particleboard - 0.09 ppm of formaldehyde

The new rule does contain a number of exemptions, including: antique and second-hand furniture, hardboard, structural plywood and panels, structural composite lumber,
oriented strand board, glued laminated lumber, prefabricated wood I-joists, finger-jointed lumber, wood packaging, composite products used in vehicles, and some exterior windows and doors.

The new rule also places requirements upon downstream users of manmade composite wood products - they are required to keep relevant documentation in an easily accessible manner for a period of three years. In addition, as with CARB requirements, finished goods containing composite wood products must be labeled. Products may be labeled individually or may be labeled collectively, if the products are boxed or bundled together. The final rule contains a number of requirements concerning labeling, including the requirement to provide the fabricators name, the date of production and a statement that the finished goods are compliant with TSCA Title VI.

As a CARB accredited TPC, SGS can help manufacturers remain compliant during the transition to the new TSCA regulations on formaldehyde emissions in manmade wood products.

SGS CARB Services
Throughout our global network of Third Party Certification (TPC) laboratories, we are able to provide a range of services, including certification, analytical testing and consultancy for formaldehyde emissions in composite wood products for California, the US and worldwide markets. Learn more about SGS’s CARB Services (www.sgs.com/en/consumer-goods-retail/hardgoods/home-furnishings-and-houseware/carb)

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full California Proposition 65 Reformulation of DINP in Consumer Products SafeGuardS. (www.sgs.com/en/news/2016/06/safeguards-11916-california-proposition-65-reformulation-of-dinp-in-consumer-products)

Subscribe here, www.sgs.com/subscribesg, to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Matthew McGarrity
Technical Manager, Consumer and Retail
Tel: +01 973 897-8889
Email: cts.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/cgnr

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 85,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,800 offices and laboratories around the world.

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This release was published on openPR.