ARB/SSD April 11, 2008 1

Application to be a Third Party Certifier (TPC) of 

Composite Wood Products

Please mail completed application to: California Air Resources Board 

 Stationary Source Division 

 ATTN: Layla Gonzales-TPC Application Review Coordinator 

 1001 I Street 

 Sacramento, CA 95814 

 Phone (916) 324-0354 lgonzale@arb.ca.gov 

Pre-application meeting:  I request a pre-application meeting. In this case, please complete section A below 

and return this form to the address shown above. 

 

A: Company Information 

1. Company name: Application Date: 

2. Company mailing address: 

3. Company web site: 

4. Company contact person: Title: 

5. Phone No: Fax No: E-mail: 

6. Preparer/Consultant (if applicable) name: 

Address: 

7. Preparer/Consultant phone: E-mail: 

Note to applicants - The following acronyms denote: 

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials 

ATCM - Airborne Toxic Control Measure 

CARB – California Air Resources Board 

ISO/IEC – International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission 

QC – Quality Control 

TPC – Third Party Certifier 
ARB/SSD April 11, 2008 2

B: Background Information (For submission of additional qualifications or information - see 

Attachment A.) 

B.1 Please check the product types that you seek to verify. 

 Hardwood Plywood 

 Particleboard 

 Medium Density Fiberboard 

 

B.2 Describe your actual field experience in the verification of laboratories and wood products, to 

demonstrate how your company will competently perform the requirements for third party 

certifiers (Appendix 3 of the regulation). 

a) Provide evidence of current “product certification agency” accreditation,* such as ISO 

Guide 65:1996, any other relevant accreditations, such as ISO/IEC Standard 17020:1998 

(inspection bodies) or ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2005 (testing laboratories), and the dates 

when accreditations were granted for the specific fields of accreditation relevant to the 

scope of the regulation (i.e., formaldehyde testing). 

b) Attach the most recent evaluation reports issued by the accreditation body pertaining to 

the product certification agency accreditation. 

c) If your company intends to subcontract with another company to perform your inspection 

or testing work, please include evidence of contractual agreements, and if applicable, 

provide that subcontractor’s status of current accreditations in accordance with the 

relevant accreditation standards, such as ISO/IEC Standard 17020:1998 and ISO/IEC 

Standard 17025:2005. 

* Note: The regulation requires evidence of product certification agency accreditation. 

However, the regulation contains an oversight in that it requires accreditation by a 

signatory to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition 

Arrangement (ILAC, 2000). We understand that ILAC does not issue such accreditations. 

The essential requirement for product certification agency accreditation still applies. 

B.3 Describe your experience in formaldehyde emission testing. If you (the applicant TPC) or a 

company with which you subcontract are accredited to ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2005, and the 

specific methods below are noted in the scope of your accreditation, you may refer to the 

appropriate section of your accreditation in regards to subparts (a), (b), and (c). 

 

a) Describe your experience operating the primary and/or secondary test method, and ASTM 

D 5582-00 (desiccator) method. 

b) Describe the analytical methods you operate. 

c) Describe formaldehyde emission tests besides those developed by ASTM that you or your 

subcontract laboratories perform. 

 

B.4 How will you train and supervise inspectors? If you or a company with which you 

subcontract are accredited to ISO/IEC Standard 17020:1998, you may refer to the appropriate 

section as noted in your scope of accreditation. 
ARB/SSD April 11, 2008 3

B.5 Do any manufacturers of composite wood products have a financial interest in your company 

(the applicant TPC) or one of your subcontractors (e.g., subcontract laboratory)? If yes, describe 

the nature of the interest, and whether you or your subcontractor intends to act as a TPC for said 

manufacturer(s). 

C: Initial Plant Qualification 

C.1 Describe the process and the qualifications required for the approval of a manufacturer’s 

Quality Control (QC) manual. 

C.2 Describe the process and the qualifications required for the approval of QC personnel and the 

sufficiency of on-site small-scale testing facilities. 

C.3 Describe the process and the qualifications required for the approval of procedures used to 

select samples for small-scale testing. 

C.4 Describe the procedures used to establish a facility’s correlation value between their smallscale test method and either the primary or secondary test method, and the data required to be 

kept on site. 

D: Primary or Secondary Method Testing 

D.1 Describe the process and the qualifications required for the approval of sample selection, 

handling, and shipping procedures used by the plant’s QC personnel. 

D.2 Describe the type and amount of primary or secondary method testing-related information QC 

personnel will be asked to keep on-site for your inspection. 

D.3 Describe what will be required in a manufacturer’s plan of action if they fail a quarterly 

primary or secondary method test. 
ARB/SSD April 11, 2008 4

E: Facility Inspection Procedures 

E.1 Describe the specifics of a facility inspection. 

a) What are the procedures, reviews and actions that comprise a facility inspection? 

b) How often will inspections be conducted? 

c) What records will be inspected? 

d) Will random samples for testing be taken and when? 

e) What actions will be taken during an inspection failure? 

E.2 Describe the criteria used to verify compliance with the QC requirements of the ATCM. 
ARB/SSD April 11, 2008 5

ATTACHMENT A

Qualification Data ____________________________________________________________________________________ 

 Attachment A Attach a copy of the guidance manual used for certification, license agreements 

required of certified facilities, applications required of facilities wishing to 

participate in the program and examples of quality manuals required for certified 

facilities. 

 Attachment B Use this attachment to add or clarify any qualification information that you think 

needs explaining. Reference the section in the application to which this 

additional or clarifying information applies. Include any additional text, tables, 

calculations, or accreditations. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________ 
Signature Page 

Certification 

Company Name: _ 

I, ___________________________________, hereby certify that the information and data submitted in 

this application are true and as accurate as possible, to the best of my knowledge and professional 

expertise and experience. 

Signed this day of , , upon my oath or affirmation. 

_______________________________________ _______________________ 

Signature Date 

_______________________________________ _______________________ 

Printed Name Title