Health Product Declaration (HPD)

In conjunction with the EPD, another verification to consider is the Health Product Declaration (HPD). This is a document manufacturers use to disclose product ingredients and any health hazards associated with them. It is fair to say that architects and designers are paying more attention to the health impacts of buildings, including possible health impacts of building products. In order to get beyond the generic safety assurances from product manufacturers, designers are wisely asking for more information about what is actually in products.
The HPD has been recognized in the LEED and WELL rating systems, and the HPD has begun to influence how designers select building products.
The HPD should not be confused with the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) or globally harmonized SDS (Safety Data Sheet). The SDS, for instance, only provides a list of certain hazardous ingredients and is required by law for chemicals that will be handled by workers in factories or on jobsites. The SDS is designed to help medical professionals and first responders understand what they are dealing with in the event of a chemical spill or other crisis.

Health Product Declaration Standard Components
The main component of a Health Product Declaration is a list of every ingredient that is present in the finished product. For each of these ingredients, the following information is included:
Common name (name that the ingredient is normally called).
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number: Because chemicals have many different common names, the CAS number identifies the chemical based on how it is identified in a global database.
Percentage the substance comprises in the finished product.
Role of the substance in the product.
Any known health hazards that regulators or scientists around the world have associated with the substance.
Level of disclosure (or “threshold”) in parts per million (ppm), with smaller numbers indicating a higher level of disclosure.
VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) data and product certifications (such as GREENGUARD certification for low chemical emissions).
Explanatory notes (anything the manufacturer wants you to know about the product or one its ingredients that is not part of the structured data).

Both the EPD and HPD help highlight important considerations to Form, Fit, and Function with a greater emphasis on the EPD providing critical data on the sustainability of the product/material. However, additional data from key tests are essential for identifying the material best suited for the scope of a particular lab. This additional data can fall under multiple test methodologies, but the point is, the independent information is out there. Material transparency is available, if only manufacturers will take it upon themselves to provide it, and if lab planners and designers know to expect it.

BQV, as accredited organization by the National Accreditation System (ESYD) according to ISO 17065 and registered verifier on the electronic platform of the organization HPD International Inc, undertakes the verification of Health Product Declarations (HPD’s).