The First Facility Management Blog

NSF International is celebrating 65 years of protecting and improving human health and safety worldwide. Over the past six decades, the organization has established itself as one of the most trusted names in public health, writing national human health standards and certifying products to help ensure the safety of food and drinking water, dietary supplements, and consumer goods. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety, and Indoor Environment.

NSF’s heritage dates back to November 1944 when two professors from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, and a public health official from nearby Toledo, OH, saw a need to standardize the health requirements for commercial foodservice equipment. The transparent, consensus-based process they established to develop NSF’s first standards for the sanitation of soda fountain and luncheonette equipment became the process by which NSF developed other human health and safety standards. Today,the organization has more than 850 employees, operating in more than 120 countries, with certification programs for multiple products. Global headquarters are located in Ann Arbor, MI.

Since that time, NSF has developed more than 72 American National Standards to protect food and water, dietary supplements, pools and spas, and consumer goods. NSF also tests and certifies a wide range of products including foodservice equipment, organic foods, plastic and plumbing products, water filters, nutritional ingredients, home appliances, kitchen utensils, green building materials, pool and spa equipment, and more.

Milestones In NSF’s History

1952: NSF Test Laboratories chartered.
First food equipment standards introduced (NSF standards 1 and 2).
Food equipment certification program launched.
1980: NSF International creates the water treatment and distribution systems program to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to improve drinking water standards. A majority of states now require drinking water products, such as plastic, plumbing and water filters, be certified to NSF standards.

The NSF International Annual Meeting, November 20, 1946—63 years ago to the day.

1985: NSF International opens European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Drinking water additives program launched.
1990: NSF and NSF Testing Laboratories merge to form NSF International.
1991: NSF Certification programs are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
1996: NSF receives designation as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for food safety and drinking water safety and treatment. This designation was renewed in 2009.
2001: NSF International launches dietary supplement certification program.
2004: NSF acquires Quality Assurance International (QAI, Inc.), organic certifier based in San Diego, CA
2005: NSF expands testing operations in Taiwan with new lab in Taichung.
2006: NSF establishes NSF Shanghai Co. Ltd. in the People’s Republic of China to enhance food and water quality throughout Asia.
2007: NSF completes an 80,000 square-foot laboratory expansion at their headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI, to increase its engineering, microbiology, chemistry, and toxicology laboratory capabilities, bringing its headquarters and lab facility to a total of 150,000 square feet.
2008: NSF launches the Environmental Sustainability Program that provides carbon footprinting and accredited, third-party verification of environmental claims and greenhouse gas emissions. This program also includes standards development and certification for sustainable products, such as carpet, furniture, and other building materials, as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
2009: NSF opens office in India.
NSF acquires Surefish, a recognized leader in seafood quality, with offices in Seattle, Alaska, Vietnam and South Korea.

NSF International has announced that InterfaceFLOR, a manufacturer of modular carpet, has received certification to NSF/ANSI 140: Sustainable Carpet for both its GlasBac and GlasBac RE products (high recycled content carpet backing). InterfaceFLOR’s facility in Chonburi, Thailand, is the first manufacturing facility outside of North America to achieve this certification.

The NSF Sustainable Carpet Standard was developed to help drive the carpet industry toward a more sustainable future by providing a national standard that can be used for developing environmentally-friendly carpet. NSF International certifies carpet to ensure it meets all of the standard’s requirements, which helps designers, architects, and contractors chose more sustainable products. The NSF Sustainable Carpet Certification Program, which is based on NSF/ANSI Standard 140, uses a point system to address six key areas:

• Public health and environment
• Energy and energy efficiency
• Bio-based recycled content materials
• Manufacturing
• Reclamation and end-of-life management
• Innovation

Based on the number of points earned, certification is issued in one of three levels: silver, gold, or platinum. InterfaceFLOR achieved silver certification.

“At InterfaceFLOR, we are committed to environmental leadership in every aspect of our business, and we are dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint. Obtaining NSF/ANSI 140 certification for sustainable carpets helps us demonstrate our commitment to Mission Zero, our promise to eliminate all negative impacts we may have on the environment by 2020,” says Connie Hensler, Director of Life Cycle Assessment Programs at InterfaceFLOR.

“With so many companies claiming to be green, InterfaceFLOR took the steps necessary to ensure their products were certified to an American national sustainability standard,” says Petie Davis, Business Unit Manager for Sustainability Services at NSF International. “Consumers can be confident that InterfaceFLOR is ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to their certified carpets because the sustainable practices used to manufacture GlasBac and GlasBac RE products were verified by an independent, third-party organization.”

As of January 1, 2010, new lead content requirements in California will mandate a maximum weighted average lead content of ≤ 0.25% for plumbing products. Wilkins, a Zurn Company, is the first backflow preventer manufacturer certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components—Health Effects and Annex G low-lead requirements, developed to help protect the public from exposure to lead.

Wilkins' 2" 375XL backflow preventer is part of the company's product line certified compliant with NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G requirements.

Backflow preventers are mechanical plumbing devices that protect against pollution and contamination by preventing unsafe water from flowing back into the public water supply.

Manufacturers of backflow preventers for potable water service, faucets, valves, water fittings, and other products that come in contact with drinking water must meet the new lead requirements, as set forth in the California Health and Safety Code, by January 1, 2010. After this date, any pipe, fitting, or fixture intended to convey or dispense water for drinking or cooking must meet a weighted average lead content of ≤ 0.25%.

The lead content requirements of Section 116875 of the California Health and Safety Code (also known as AB1953) were incorporated as an annex into the American National Standard for health effects of drinking water system components NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Annex G – Weighted Average Lead Content Evaluation Procedure to a 0.25 Percent Lead Requirement.

To obtain certification, Wilkins demonstrated compliance with all of NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G requirements. For meeting these requirements, Wilkins’ backflow preventers bear the NSF Annex G Certification Mark (seen at right).

“Wilkins is setting the standard for other backflow preventer manufacturers to follow,” said Bob Ferguson, NSF International vice president. “We are pleased to issue Wilkins this certification as it demonstrates their commitment to environmental and public health protection.”

Annex G was developed by NSF’s Lead Task Group with guidance from key regulators, proponents of the California lead bill, industry representatives, and the NSF Standard 61 Joint Committee. The NSF Joint Committee is comprised of balanced representation from public health, user communities, and industry to ensure an open, transparent, and consensus process.

More information, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found on Wilkins’ Web site.

More information from NSF on low lead plumbing products can be found here.

The Building Intelligence Group has been retained to conduct a research project on the issues and needs for operators and technicians involved with High Performance buildings. This project is being funded by the National Science Foundation, and the results will be used to define the needs for future operations personnel including required tools, training, and processes.

The Group’s work involves research on issues and trends as well as conducting a series of surveys, interviews, and focus groups with building operations staff. The Building Intelligence Group has posted an online survey and are encouraging those involved with the operations of commercial buildings to participate in filling this out. The survey will run through mid-June.

Facility professionals involved with the day-to-day operations of commercial or institutional facilities are being asked to provide their input. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete. Survey participants will be entered into a drawing for a $100 American Express gift card. The information will be used anonymously as part of the research project and will remain confidential. Please note that this survey being conducted strictly for non-commercial research purposes and will involve no solicitations of any kind. To participate in the survey, click this link.

A guidebook to help manufacturers through the complicated certification process for the NSF/ANSI 140-2007 Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard has been released for widespread use. Published by NSF International, the private, not-for-profit, standards development and product certification organization, the guidebook is designed to make it easier to use NSF 140 and to establish consistency in the data collection and documentation required for certification.

According to NSF International, the guidance manual complements the Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard by providing “useful test methods, processes, and other tools in order to report comprehensive, accurate, and meaningful information about the environmental performance and social contribution of products and performance throughout the supply chain.”

The NSF/ANSI 140-2007 standard applies to all broadloom and tile carpet floor coverings and is intended to be used to evaluate carpet in commercial and institutional applications. Carpets certified under NSF 140 contribute towards building project totals under the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System in several categories, including innovation.

Initiated by the Carpet and Rug Institute, the standard was developed by the NSF Joint Committee for Sustainable Carpet, a multidisciplinary consortium of stakeholders from business, academia, environmental interests, and government regulators. The guidebook helps carpet manufacturers measure their conformance in the areas of environmental and social responsibility, quality control and record keeping, public health and the environment, energy use, manufacturing processes, reclamation and end of life management, and innovation. An appendix document offers a Target Achievement Level Scorecard so manufacturers can evaluate whether they are on target for platinum, gold, or silver-level certification.

“We envisioned the Guidance Manual as a resource for manufacturers seeking to enter the certification arena. The final draft of the document is extremely well done, and I think will prove to be even more valuable than we originally expected,” said Carpet and Rug Institute Vice- president and COO Frank Hurd.

The 71-page NSF 140 Guidance Manual was prepared by the Guidance Manual Task Group of the NSF Joint Committee for Sustainable Carpet. To download a pdf of the document, click sustainability2.

NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR), a North American leader in management systems registrations, today announced it has obtained Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

NSF-ISR is one of seven verification bodies to receive approval in ANSI’s pilot program to accredit GHG verification bodies.(1) The accreditation confirms that the GHG verifications performed by NSF-ISR are conducted to U.S. and international standards. GHG verification provides assurance that GHG emissions and removals are properly accounted for in organizational inventories.

“This accreditation from ANSI demonstrates NSF’s commitment to providing clients with the services they need to stay current with new regulations, while helping to protect the environment,” said Kevan P. Lawlor, President and CEO of NSF International, NSF-ISR’s parent company.

Scientific evidence suggests that the buildup of GHG in the atmosphere is raising the earth’s temperature and changing the earth’s climate. In 2002, President Bush set a goal to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas intensity by 18%. The U.S. is seen to be on track for reaching that goal.(2)

Future policy for reducing GHG emissions in the U.S. may include a national “cap-and-trade” program. According to NSF, under cap-and-trade, companies that voluntarily achieve emission reductions are more competitive in the marketplace because they have a reduced need to acquire GHG emission allowances.

“With a federal cap-and-trade system for GHG potentially in the USA’s future, we project economic incentives to reduce GHG emissions, and emissions trading will become very common,” said John Shideler, NSF-ISR Greenhouse Gas Program Manager. “However, the credits that are being bought and sold in the market need to be verified by an accredited, third-party verifier, such as NSF-ISR, in order for the market to have credibility.”

Successful verification demonstrates that organizations are managing their GHG emissions diligently with energy efficiency in mind and an eye towards future regulatory requirements. A list of organizations whose emissions have been verified by NSF-ISR is maintained on its Web site.

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(1) American National Standards Institute, December 1, 2008, https://www.ansica.org/wwwversion2/ALLdirectoryListing.asp?menuID=200&prgID=20 0&status=4

(2) Environmental Resource Center, April 28, 2008, http://www.ercweb.com/resources/viewtip.aspx?id=7210