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How do I enroll my company in the new UFAC Green Hangtag program?
Registration is easy. For the kickoff, the Green program will involve only foam, typically the bulkiest furniture component. With its history of flame retardant (FR) use, foam is the most likely source of contamination with FR chemicals. The Green program will be expanding to other components, like textiles by 2021.
Select a piece of foam – preferably a seat foam that is used in a large percentage of your upholstered furniture – that is at least 5-inches x 5-inches x 1-inch in size, or a minimum 25 cubic inches. The Foam Registration Form lists the recordkeeping requirements for the sample.
The Foam Registration Form can be downloaded here: UFAC Foam Sample Registration Form
What information is required for the Foam Registration form?
In addition to your company name and contact information, we need certain information about your intended foam sample.
Your company is expected to keep and maintain a record of who took the sample, when the sample was taken, where the sample was taken, and the foam producer, fabricator (if applicable), and foam name or number. This will all be recorded on the Foam Registration form.
UFAC, in its terms and conditions of participation, may request additional samples based on your company’s size, supply chain, or component part suppliers at any time. If necessary, UFAC may send a representative to your factory(s) to collect samples.
Where do I send my foam sample?
The mailing address is on the form. When your foam sample has shipped, please send an email notification to [email protected]. You will be informed when the sample arrives.
What will happen to my foam?
Information provided for your sample will be recorded in UFAC’s confidential Foam FR Test database and re-identified by a test code known only to UFAC. Along with samples from other furniture manufacturers and importers, a group of 10 or more samples will be shipped to one of three pre-qualified, independent and certified test laboratories who specialize in testing FR chemicals. At all times, the integrity of the sample and the chain of custody is maintained.
Why are samples grouped?
UFAC has been able to take advantages of economies of scale, reducing test cost substantially. The cost savings, compared to single samples, is significant. That’s one of the many advantages to the UFAC Make Life Safer Plus program. At all times, the integrity of the sample and the chain of custody is maintained.
Due to UFAC’s discounted testing rates for this advanced testing, many UFAC participants elect to voluntarily test additional samples or require that their suppliers conduct UFAC flame retardant testing to further support their compliance verification efforts.
What’s happens next to my foam sample?
Using a test protocol that was established by California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, with assistance from world-renowned FR Chemist Dr. Heather Stapleton, your foam is subjected to a very specific Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry analytical process to determine the presence (and, hopefully, the absence) of the most commonly used foam FRs in upholstered furniture.
Where did the list of FRs come from?
UFAC’s Technical Advisory Committee has consulted frequently with Dr. Stapleton, who is also a member of the Committee. She developed the FR list based on her Duke University laboratory’s research on home furnishings and children’s products. The “common” FRs were those found most frequently in hundreds of tests. The Make Life Safer Plus program is currently testing to the following FRs, found here.
Do I get a copy of the test report?
Yes. It is anticipated that testing will require three to four weeks, though sometimes longer. Once the report on your product is available, you will receive a copy for your files. Test reports should be stored with your vendor certification letters regarding their non-use of flame retardants. Test reports add further validity to vendor certification letters.
UFAC will also maintain these records on your behalf and provide certification, upon request, to any party for whom your company requests it, a retailer, a vendor, or an end customer.
Will my test results be shared with others?
No. Your information will be kept strictly confidential. For scientific study, your results may be used in aggregate with other companies’ results, although company information will be always be anonymous.
How reliable are the results?
UFAC’s Technical Advisory Committee conducted an interlaboratory study to qualify the independent test laboratories test performance in identifying and quantifying targeted FRs, if found. Dr. Stapleton reported that results of this large study “align very well with (the Duke Laboratory’s) findings.”
How frequently will my foam be tested?
UFAC’s plan at this point is to annually test at least one foam sample per company. The program terms and conditions permit UFAC to conduct additional testing, as needed, to obtain a scientifically defensible result. A random testing program also exists and may require participating furniture companies to periodically submit an unscheduled sample for testing.
UFAC has secured what it believes to be the least expensive rate on FR testing available to furniture manufacturers. Additional product testing can be arranged by your request and expensed through the laboratory bulk-testing purchasing agreements that UFAC has in place.
What is the cost of participating in the UFAC Make Life Safer Plus green program?
Participation in the Make Life Safer Plus green program is easy. There are two parts to the pricing structure:
- A manufacturer sends in a sample of foam taken from an item of furniture sourced from its principal foam supplier. UFAC sends the foam to its independent, accredited third-party laboratory partners and bills your company back for the cost of the testing. Once UFAC receives passing results back from its independent laboratories, it will notify the manufacturer that it is eligible to participate in the program. UFAC will maintain the test records and provide a copy to the manufacturer.
- Participants are then authorized to purchase as many of the new green hangtags as they need for their production. Please find the pricing sheet and ordering instructions here: UFAC Order Form.
Authorized participants may make full use of all UFAC licensed IP in your company’s marketing, UFAC website recognition, and UFAC back-office document retention portal, which reduces your employee’s time and other compliance recordkeeping costs.
In 2020, the cost of the qualifying foam testing is presently $750 per sample, which covers the UFAC testing performed at independent, accredited third-party laboratories. All laboratories have been through rigorous interlaboratory quality comparison testing and oversight by the UFAC Technical Director and Technical Advisory Committee. In 2021, the program will expand to include sampling of textiles at approximately the same cost per sample. From time to time, UFAC also may order random testing from a manufacturer to further substantiate compliance with the program’s terms. For most companies, total testing costs will be approximately $750-$1500 annually, although occasional random tests could increase the cost to approximately $2250 in some years.
What’s next for this UFAC program?
Work is already underway on FR analytical testing of cover material (textiles and leather). After an initial trial program, the cost of fabric testing will be added to the UFAC Make Life Safer Plus green program. UFAC anticipates the testing of cover materials to be fully in effect in 2021.
(Note: The fabric testing program is still in Beta testing. Contact [email protected] for details on joining the Beta fabric testing pilot.)
The Fabric Registration Form can be downloaded here: UFAC FABRIC Sample Registration Form
Have a question that isn’t addressed above?
Send your question to [email protected].
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