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Rob Emelander
What is ASSURE CERTIFIED™?
ASSURE CERTIFIED™ establishes a uniform, North American standard for all rigid core vinyl flooring products manufactured globally. ASSURE applies to WPC or SPC flooring construction. Manufacturers of Rigid core flooring products can give their customers the highest level of confidence about the safety of Rigid core flooring for their homes through certification to ASSURE. Certification to the ASSURE CERTIFIED standard provides verification that the flooring product was manufactured to the highest standards and meets all the ASSURE CERTIFIED™ requirements for indoor air quality, rigorous performance, and low heavy metals & ortho-phthalates content. ASSURE CERTIFIED builds on the popular certification for indoor air quality in flooring, FloorScore®. Products that have already achieved FloorScore certification can easily obtain ASSURE CERTIFIED with supplemental testing and product review.
What is ASSURE CERTIFIED™ for Rigid Core Flooring?
According to industry research, rigid core flooring is North America’s fastest growing segment of resilient flooring. As more manufacturers enter the market to capitalize on this popularity, SCS in partnership with the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) and its member companies felt the need to determine a uniform quality standard to ensure continued consumer confidence, trust and satisfaction with rigid core flooring solutions. SCS brings decades of flooring certification experience and we provide dedicated auditors and customer service managers for manufacturers. ASSURE certification answers the questions consumers have about rigid core and gives them the confidence they need to purchase.
- Process
- Benefits
- What are Private Labels?
- Program Documents
1. Apply for Certification
- Client submits an SCS Application Form
- SCS scopes the project and prepares a proposal that includes a detailed explanation of the process, deliverables, cost, and timeline.
- An SCS account manager and auditor are assigned to guide client through the certification process.
2. Data Collection
- An SCS auditor will work with client to collect product data and quality management documents.
- An onsite audit* is scheduled once sufficient data is collected.
3. Onsite Audit*
- The SCS auditor conducts an onsite audit, observing client’s operation and interacting with technical staff to obtain any additional information needed.
- Auditor collects product sample(s) for testing.
- Onsite audits are typically one-day audits.
4. Product Testing
- Auditor provides a sample plan for testing product(s) according to the following standards:
- ASTM F3261-17, Standard Specification for Resilient Flooring in Modular Format with Rigid Polymeric Core
- CDPH/EHLB/Standard Method V1.2, January 2017 Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers, Emission testing method for California Specification 01350**
- CPSC – CH – C1001-09.4, Standard Operating Procedure for Determination of Phthalates
- CONEG Toxics in Packaging in Heavy Metals/EPA SW 846 Method 3052, Microwave Assisted Acid Digestion of Siliceous and Organically Based Matrices
- Client sends product(s) to an SCS-approved independent lab for testing. Test results can take approximately 3-4 weeks.
5. Audit Results
- Auditor issues audit findings if any are required.
- Client responds to audit findings (if required).
6. Reporting
- Auditor prepares an Assessment Report detailing the audit findings, including data analysis.
7. Certification Decision
- An SCS reviewer conducts a final review of the draft Assessment Report and makes the certification decision.
- Client is listed in SCS Green Products Guide and is granted the right to use the approved Assure Certified logo, consistent with SCS guidelines.
- SCS can also provide client marketing support.
8. Certification Maintenance and Renewal
- Certification is valid for three (3) years with required annual surveillance to maintain certification.
- Any renewal or surveillance testing required will be confirmed by the auditor during the evaluation process.
Timeline:
- Certification takes on average 2-3 months to complete from signed Work Order through to final decision.
- The timeline can be affected depending on product testing and onsite audit scheduling.
- *The onsite audit may be waived for products with valid FloorScore® certification.
- **VOC emissions testing for CDPH/EHLB Standard Method V1.2 may be waived for products with valid FloorScore® certification.
- Elevate your FloorScore® certification with added product performance and chemical content evaluations
- Differentiate your product as certified rigid core flooring
- Provide safer, healthier work and home environments
Private Label certification is available to customers of certified manufacturers to allow re-branding of SCS certified products under the customers’ company name. Customers will undergo a Private Label certification assessment to use the Assure Certified brand and logo.
To protect the confidential relationship between the manufacturer (supplier) and the private label holder, customers receive a unique SCS certificate for their products upon approval.
- Certified Private Label products are added to the SCS Green Products Guide database.
- Renewal and surveillance assessments are completed in conjunction with the certified manufacturer.
