Green Electronics Council
Registry Services Department

Verification Round Plan

P42Issue 1 Rev 1

Green Electronics Council
227 SW Pine Street, Suite 300 • Portland, OR 97204 • V: (503) 279-9382 • F: (503) 279-9381 • www.epeat.net

PLAN FOR VERIFICATION ROUND PC-2017-03
PCs and Displays/IEEE 1680.1
June 2017
I.

PURPOSE AND CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT

This document outlines the plan for a Verification Round of Investigations to be performed inaccordance P15 Verification Procedure, this Verification Plan, and EPEAT scheme rules.

II.

SELECTION OF CRITERIA AND PRODUCTS FOR VERIFICATIONPC-2017-03 will include both Level 0 and Level 1 investigations on criteria which either have not been
recently verified or for which conformance is difficult to prove. All geographies and manufacturers withproducts active on the EPEAT Registry are eligible for inclusion in this Round. Criteria which will beinvestigated during this Round include:

4.1.2.1 Optional- Elimination of intentionally added cadmium

4.1.4.1 Optional- Elimination of intentionally added lead in certain applications

4.2.1.2 Optional- Minimum content of postconsumer recycled plastic

4.3.1.9 Optional- Minimum 90% reusable/recyclable

4.4.1.1 Required- Availability of additional 3 year warranty or service agreement

Investigations for 4.4.1.1 will be investigated via Level 0 investigation. In a Level 0 investigation, anAuditor assesses Conformance to a criterion by examining publicly available information only – noproducts are obtained for inspection or testing, and the Manufacturer is not asked to submit
documentation. If the publicly available information is inconclusive (i.e. was not available, could not befound from public sources, or did not provide enough details to determine conformance), the Auditor
may be instructed to proceed with a Level 1 investigation.
All other criteria will be investigated via level 1 investigation after the level 0 portion of the verification
round has closed. In a level 1 investigation, an auditor assesses conformance to a criterion by examining
information submitted by a manufacturer. The manufacturer is required to provide detailed andaccurate information in a timely manner. A total of 79 investigations will be completed during thisround. No more than 6 investigations will be assigned for any single manufacturer. Manufacturers may
be investigated for the same criterion on more than one product.

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Products will be selected according to the process outlined below:

Selection Process:Notes:Level 0A list of all active products will be pulledfrom the EPEAT Registry.
This list will be sorted on criterion 4.4.1.1,and products will be selected at random
until 12 investigations are assigned.
Step 1
Step 2

Level 1
Step 3

Step 4

Step 5III.

For criteria 4.1.2.1, 4.1.4.1, 4.2.1.2 and4.3.1.9, the master list will be sorted toinclude only those products claiming atleast one of the four criteria
Products will be randomly selected fromthese narrowed lists.
A check will be performed that specificproducts chosen were not verified for thechosen criteria within the past six months

No manufacturer will recieve more than
one investigation for this criterion.

No manufacturer will be subject tomore than 6 total individual
investigations during this round.
A specific criterion on a specific productmay not be verified more than once
every six months.

VERIFICATION PROCESSSThe Verification Round will proceed in accordance with current procedures, as outlined below.
Level 0 Investigations ‐ Targeted Criteria:
1. The EPEAT Scheme will take a “snapshot” of the Registry, from which products will be selected forinvestigation.
2. The EPEAT Scheme will instruct Conformity Assurance Bodies (if applicable – see Section V) toproceed with the investigations.
3. Conformity Assurance Bodies will assign investigations to (an) Auditor(s). The Auditor(s) will NOT
notify the subject Manufacturers that their products are being investigated at this time.

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4. The Auditors will perform the investigations as assigned within the allotted time, and prepare an
Investigation Report for each investigation, recommending conformance or inconclusive based on
publicly available data.
5. Conformity Assurance Bodies will review all Investigation Reports to ensure they are clear andcomplete and the evidence supports the recommendation, and will forward the Report and supporting
evidence to the EPEAT Scheme. At the same time, Conformity Assurance Body will forward the draftReports (without the final conformance decision) to the subject Manufacturers.
6. The Conformity Decision Panel or a GEC Conformity Assurance staff member will review the reports
and make a decision regarding conformity. The identity of the products and Manufacturers will not be
disclosed to the Conformity Decision Panel or the GEC Conformity Assurance staff member. TheConformity Decision Panel or the GEC Conformity Assurance staff member will be blind to the specificproducts and Manufacturers for which they are making conformity decisions.
7. In the case of a finding of inconclusive, the EPEAT Scheme will launch a Level 1 investigation. The
Verification Process for Level 1 investigations can be seen below.
8. Conformity Assurance Bodies will inform the subject Manufacturers of the Conformity Decision Panelor GEC Conformity Assurance staff member’s conformity decision. For decisions of Non‐Conformance,Manufacturers will be required to take corrective action within 14 calendar days to restore the accuracyof the declaration in the EPEAT Registry.
Level 1 Investigations ‐ Targeted Criteria and Manufacturers:
1. The EPEAT Scheme will use the “snapshot” of the Registry taken for the Level 0 investigations.
2. The EPEAT Scheme will instruct Conformity Assurance Bodies (if applicable – see Section V) toproceed with the investigations.
3. Conformity Assurance Bodies will assign investigations to (an) Auditor(s), and will notify the subject
Manufacturers that their products are being investigated.
4. The EPEAT Scheme will publish the Verification Round Plan on epeat.net.
5. The Auditors will perform the investigations as assigned within 60 calendar days, and prepare anInvestigation Report for each investigation, recommending conformance or nonconformance.
6. Conformity Assurance Bodies will review all Investigation Reports to ensure they are clear andcomplete and the evidence supports the recommendation, and will forward the Report and supporting
evidence to the EPEAT Scheme. At the same time, Conformity Assurance Body will forward the draft
Reports (without the final conformance decision) to the subject Manufacturers.
7. The Conformity Decision Panel or a GEC Conformity Assurance staff member will review the reports
and make a decision regarding conformity. The identity of the products and Manufacturers will not be
disclosed to the Conformity Decision Panel or the GEC Conformity Assurance staff member. TheConformity Decision Panel or the GEC Conformity Assurance staff member will be blind to the specificproducts and Manufacturers for which they are making conformity decisions.
8. Conformity Assurance Bodies will inform the subject Manufacturers of the Conformity Decision Panelor the GEC Conformity Assurance staff member’s conformity decision. For decisions of Non‐
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Conformance, Manufacturers will be required to take corrective action within 14 calendar days torestore the accuracy of the declaration in the EPEAT Registry.
9. The EPEAT Scheme will publish a "Verification Round Outcomes Report" identifying thenonconforming products and Manufacturers, as well as the action taken to restore accuracy of thedeclarations in the Registry

IV.

CONFORMITY DECISION PANEL

The following individuals are the members of the Conformity Decision Panel:


V.

Libby Chaplin, CEO, Arcadian Solutions
Jack Geibig, President, Ecoform
Robert Pfahl, Pfahl Consulting L.L.C.
Annette Roesler, Ph.D., Independent Professional Chemist

CONFORMITY ASSURANCE BODIES AND AUDITORSAll investigations will be conducted through Conformity Assurance Bodies approved by the Green
Electronics Council. The following Conformity Assurance Bodies may be involved in Investigations forthis Verification Round: Green Electronics Council CAB
 UL Environment

VI.

VERIFICATION ROUND PLAN APPROVALThis Verification Round Plan was approved by discussion and/or email on May 25, 2017.

VII.

SUMMARY OF PC-2017-03 PLANNED INVESTIGATIONS

Criterion

Verification Selection and Process

4.1.2.1
4.1.4.1

Optional- Elimination of intentionally added cadmium
Optional- Elimination of intentionally added lead in certain applications# Planned
Investigations296

4.2.1.2
4.3.1.9
4.4.1.1

Optional- Minimum content of postconsumer recycled plastic
Optional- Minimum 90% reusable/recyclable
Required- Availability of additional 3 year warranty or service agreement

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