ECC Corp., Midland, Texas, has developed a program to label
domestic and international consumer goods as free of hazardous substances.
Companies supplying goods given the HSF (hazardous-free substance) designation
will have passed certification from IECQ hazardous substance process management
group.
The standard was prepared jointly by the U.S.-based
Electronic Industries Association (EIA) and the Electronic Component
Certification Board (ECCB), and adopted by the IECQ for use around the world.
The IECQ is now also developing product standards for hazardous substances.
The HSF program allows consumers to recognize the HSF mark
on products and search an online database for hazardous-substance-free
products. It will be managed by ECC Corp., with assessment by IECQ through its
HSPM certification program. Based on the requirements of IECQ QC 080000,
manufacturers throughout the supply chain would undergo an initial registration
assessment to achieve certification and annual surveillance to maintain their
certification. A manufacturer needs to demonstrate full compliance in order to
receive certification to use the HSF Mark on their qualified products.
Visit
www.hsf.us
for more info.