AA-1967355-3 General Requirements For Verification of Document
AA-1967355-3 General Requirements For Verification of Document
Unless otherwise stated, the requirements for verification documents in sections 3, 4, 5 and 7 of this
specification only apply to documents that are requested in the Product Documentation to be in Connect.
Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 about requirements on verification documents are aimed both at the IKEA supplier
and at any other company in their supply chain who prepares verification documents required by IKEA; the
IKEA supplier thus needs to share at least these sections, as well as section 9 Definitions, with any sub-
supplier in the supply chain who prepares verification documents.
Implementation of changes
Changes in this specification, version number AA-1967355-3, shall be implemented latest 2022-05-02. This
means that the changed requirements apply for:
• Verification documents with active-from date in Connect from 2022-05-02.
• Information and documents that are not required to be in Connect which are valid (applicable for
running production) on or after 2022-05-02.
• Combinations with a start date from 2022-05-02.
A test report with a result that is within the limit value, Next release of IOS-PRG-0089 after it has been secured
but the limit value is within the test result uncertainty that IKEA-approved test labs give test uncertainty in all
range, is inconclusive and is therefore not a sufficient test reports where it is applicable.
verification document.
Table of contents
1 Handling differences between documentation requirements in the Product Documentation 3
1.1 Precedence of the requirement source over IOS-PRG-0089 .................................................. 3
1.2 Different documentation requirements in separate requirement sources ........................ 3
2 Traceability ......................................................................................................................................... 3
3 Requirements for all types of verification documents .................................................................. 3
3.1 Readability .................................................................................................................................. 3
3.2 Language .................................................................................................................................... 4
3.3 No modification of documents from IKEA-approved laboratories ....................................... 4
3.4 Availability of verification documents..................................................................................... 4
3.5 Consistency ................................................................................................................................. 5
3.6 Verification documents with changed requirement source or requirement...................... 5
4 Test reports and testing principles .................................................................................................. 5
4.1 Showing compliance .................................................................................................................. 5
4.2 Tests from IKEA-approved laboratories ................................................................................... 6
4.3 Sample description .................................................................................................................... 6
4.4 Representative and worst-case testing ................................................................................... 8
4.5 Conditional test requirements ................................................................................................. 9
4.6 Calculations of sums of several substances in chemical test reports .................................. 9
4.7 Undue influence ......................................................................................................................... 9
4.8 Revision of a test report ............................................................................................................ 9
5 Self declarations (SD) ....................................................................................................................... 10
6 Safety Data Sheets (SDS) ................................................................................................................... 11
6.1 Approval to use a chemical product ....................................................................................... 12
6.2 Unchanged-status statement to the SDS (if no update) ....................................................... 12
7 Connect requirements ...................................................................................................................... 12
7.1 Availability in Connect of verification documents ................................................................ 12
7.2 Declaring the supply chain ...................................................................................................... 13
2 Traceability
The IKEA supplier shall be able to show records to prove traceability of chemicals, materials, components,
processes and semi-finished goods that become part of the article, connecting input batches to the
production date (or production week) of the IKEA article.
3.1 Readability
Verification documents shall be clearly legible. For example:
• Text and numbers in scanned documents shall be clear and easy to read.
• Stamp/chop or signature shall not cover or obscure the required information, so it is difficult to read.
3.2 Language
Verification documents shall be in English. Translation into a local language can be done by the issuer if all
information is also available in English. If there is a dispute concerning a bilingual verification document,
the English language part is the valid part.
However, this requirement for English language does not apply to:
• Certification documents that are legally required to be in national language
• Sales documents and transport documents.
A document that IKEA does not require to be in English shall be camera-readable so that a language trans-
lation app can be used. If this is not possible, the IKEA supplier shall provide an English translation in Con-
nect together with the original document; this translation shall be registered in Connect in exactly the
same way as the original, except for the document name.
If different renewal period than 12 months is stated in the requirement source, bullets a and b still apply.
If a requirement source requires a “one-time” verification document, it means that the document is
required to be uploaded once and does not need to be renewed after a certain period of time. Therefore,
for such a one-time document, bullets a and b apply, but not bullet c.
Note: When a material/component/process comes from different sources, each source shall have the
required verification documents.
3.5 Consistency
The producer, trade name and type of a material/component/process shall be consistent across
verification documents. Consistent means either identical, or similar enough so that it is obvious that it is
the same material and there is no risk of confusing it with any other material.
Note: If verification documents are issued by different tiers in the supply chain, then the producer, trade
name and type of materials/components/processes in the verification documents may differ.
A test report shall show compliance with the requirement in order to be a valid verification document for
that requirement.
Table 2: Examples showing conclusive and inconclusive results with test uncertainty.
Test result with Compliance assessment
uncertainty range
15 ± 2 Fail (conclusive)
11 ± 2 Inconclusive, scenario a. below (not a compliant verification document)
9±2 Inconclusive, scenario b. below (a compliant verification document)
5±2 Pass (conclusive)
In this example:
• IKEA limit: not greater than 10 units
• Measurement uncertainty: 2 units.
If a test report states measurement uncertainty, and the results are inconclusive, the following rules apply:
a. If the reported test result is outside the allowed limit value, but the limit value is within the
uncertainty range of the result, it is inconclusive – it neither shows compliance nor non-compliance;
but there is a high risk that the tested sample is non-compliant. The test report is not considered a
compliant verification document.
b. If the reported test result is within the allowed limit value, but the limit value is within the uncertainty
range of the result, it is also inconclusive, but the test report is considered a compliant verification
document. Note: warning limit requirements may apply in this case.
4.2.1 IKEA permission to receive test reports directly from the test lab
For test reports ordered by the IKEA supplier, the test orderer shall inform the laboratory that IKEA (con-
cerned co-workers) has permission to receive copies of the test report directly from the IKEA-approved
laboratory.
The concerned IKEA co-workers have an email address ending with ‘@inter.ikea.com’ and are involved in
business or quality at:
• The concerned IKEA Purchasing unit
• The concerned Home Furnishing Business (or equivalent range-responsible unit) at IKEA of Sweden
• Global IKEA product quality and product compliance functions
• IKEA Global Test
Identifying concerned IKEA co-workers can be assessed at the discretion of the IKEA-approved test
laboratory.
any similar such materials. Main examples where this could apply:
- Materials such as wood, bamboo or natural fibres
- Metal material (alloy specification is equivalent to grade)
- Commodity textile (material, physical structure (e.g., woven/knitted/spun-bond fabric),
grammage, colour can together describe the grade)
- PU foam (type and density can together describe the grade)
The same applies for in-house production of any material at the IKEA supplier.
c. Type:
- For material test: material grade, or type of material (at least material base content), as well as
other properties as applicable such as colour.
- For component test: what kind of component it is and, when applicable, other properties such as
main material(s), colour. Each material that affects the test result shall be described according to
material requirements in bullets a and b above as well as this bullet c.
d. Production batch number or equivalent information. Equivalent information shall at least include the
following:
- production date – as a minimum, specifying year and week, and
- production site – if the producer has more than one site. (If necessary, the company can use
their code to define the production site, as long as it is traceable on request.)
4.3.1.4 No article number/name in the TR unless this adds information about the tested sample
A test report for a separate material, component or process shall not contain IKEA article numbers or
names, except in the following cases:
a. When the sample was taken from a final article, as described in section 4.3.1.2 Material sent as part of
an article or as part of a component, in which case, article number is mandatory.
b. For a component/sub-structure designed for an article, where reference to the article number/name
should be given if it helps to define the tested component/sub-structure, for example because the
article number defines the drawing for the sub-structure or the printed pattern on a fabric.
No other IKEA article numbers shall be given in the test report, except in the following cases:
a. If the test is done on an article that corresponds to several article numbers that are physically
identical (indistinguishable) and where the only difference is the information on the label, and the
test does not include label information.
Note: the test may also be representative for other articles, but it is still only the identical articles
that are allowed to be listed.
b. If the test is done on a separate, loose part that is used in several article numbers. For example, a
piece of cutlery used in various sets with different numbers of separate pieces. Note: the test may
also be assessed to be representative for other, similar loose parts, but it is still only the articles with
the physically identical parts that can be listed.
Note: If the test is done on an assembly that consists of several IKEA article numbers, for example a
kitchen cabinet and front, then all article numbers in the tested assembly need to be provided. This
includes each article and also the data required in bullets i to ii above.
or, when they are relevant, clearly make the tested sample the worst case – so that if it passes, then the
represented samples would be at least equally certain to pass, too.
However, if there is disagreement between the IKEA supplier and IKEA about what constitutes represen-
tative or worst-case testing, the assessment by IKEA shall be seen as the valid assessment.
This confirmation requirement applies for properties which are inherent to the material/component/pro-
cess. It does not apply to properties that are dependent on the design of the article, such as if the part is
accessible or in food-contact or not.
2. If facts about the sample have changed after the sample was taken, the TR shall not be changed for
this reason. For example, if the producer of the tested material/component/process changes their
name.
3. The revised TR shall state:
a. Who initiated the test report revision (either the test orderer or the test lab).
b. What has been changed. Each change shall be clearly identified in the revised TR.
4. If the IKEA supplier is the test orderer, and the test report is revised on initiative from the test
orderer: the previous version(s) of the TR shall made available to IKEA on request.
A self declaration:
a. Shall have an issue date (day, month and year are preferred, but just month and year is acceptable 1).
b. Shall contain a statement of compliance with the concerned IKEA requirements. It shall be stated in
the SD that it is valid for delivery (dispatch date from the company issuing the SD) of the materials/
components in the SD, either from:
i. the date of issue, or
ii. a stated earlier delivery (dispatch) date 2.
An SD with no statement according to i or ii above shall mean that it applies for all deliveries
(dispatch) from the issue date.
c. Shall state the issuer of the SD:
- Identity and address (company name and legal postal address)
- Telephone number, e-mail address or web address (at least one of these)
If the name and address of the company issuing the SD is not in Latin-based alphabet, transcription
to name and address with Latin-based alphabet shall be given as well as the original language.
d. Shall either be clear that the issuer is also the producer of the declared materials/components; or, if
the issuer is not the producer, it shall also be stated who is the producer of the materials/compo-
nents. In the latter case, if needed for confidentiality, the issuer of the SD may use their own codes to
designate the producer; if so, the SD shall state that the issuer will give the identity of the producer(s)
to IKEA on request (this can be under non-disclosure agreement).
1
For SD with only month and year, the issue date shall be seen as the first day of the month.
2
In the case of an SD based on an IKEA SD form, where a statement that it applies to deliveries from date of issue may be the standard
wording, validity for deliveries from an earlier date can be stated by the issuer in the ‘Comments’ table of the SD form.
e. Shall state the range included in the scope of the SD. This can either be a general description of the
range of products in the scope (range name(s), types of products); or a list of the products, including:
i. SD for material requirements: trade name 3; and grade, or type of material (generally, material
base content), as well as other properties as applicable such as colour (or, for instance, thick-
ness range for wood-based board, grammage range for fabric and paper, density range for PU
foam).
ii. SD for components: the trade name of the component (if there is one; for a fitting this could be
fitting ID) and, when applicable, what types of components and other properties such as main
material(s), colour.
f. Shall – if approval has been given for something according to approval option given in the require-
ment source – list the approval document from IKEA (with its IKEA document number) as supporting
document.
Note: this approval is an integral part of the package of requirements that the SD states compliance
with.
g. Shall have a signature and/or an official stamp; or be an official document from the issuer, with their
logo. A signature can be a written signature or e-signature. If there is a written signature, there shall
also be name of the signer. It is accepted that the signature/stamp is scanned or an inserted image.
The SD format is often supplied by IKEA. However, it does not have to be in the IKEA format as long as it
contains the required information.
The IKEA supplier shall provide a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for all chemical products used by the IKEA
supplier to produce IKEA articles to IKEA on request. Examples of chemical products: adhesive, lacquer,
powder coating, solvents, dyes, pigments, additives, textile finishing agents, masterbatch, plastic base
granules, injection-moulding release agents, electroplating bath chemicals, enamel raw material or
polyurethane foam raw material.
The following rules apply to SDSs required according to the above or in other parts of the Product
Documentation:
a. The SDS shall fulfil the legal requirements in the country where the chemical product is purchased.
b. The SDS shall be updated:
i. whenever there is a change that impacts the information in the SDS (for example, a new
classification of a substance in the chemical product),
ii. within 5 years of last update (issue date).
3
In some cases, for commodity products, there may not be a trade name. See section 4.3.1.1 Sample description of material or
component, bullet b.
7 Connect requirements
This section describes IKEA general rules for registering verification documents required to be in Connect.
It also applies to documents that are required to be made available to IKEA on request, if the IKEA supplier
chooses to register them in Connect.
This section does not apply to IKEA suppliers that do not have access to Connect.
4
This document type in Connect might in future be called only ”Safety Data Sheet”.
5
This requirement is stricter than the general English language availability requirement for non-English documents in section 3.2.
Note: this means that the IKEA supplier is also responsible to secure that when there are verification
documents for a given material/component/process from sub-supplier tiers beyond (upstream of) their
first-tier sub-supplier, that these documents cover all supply chains of that material/component/process.
7.2.2.1 Consistency
When verification documents for a material/component/process are connected to a material/component/
process combination in Connect, the information in the data fields in Connect for the material/component/
process shall be recognisable and correspond to the equivalent information in the verification documents
issued for the same material/component/process. It should be obvious that it is the same material/com-
ponent/process and there shall be no risk of confusion with any other material/component/process.
Note: If verification documents are issued by different tiers in the supply chain, then the descriptions of
the materials/components/processes in the verification documents and in the material, component or
process combination may differ.
6
In some cases, for commodity materials, there may not be a trade name. This could be the case for example for: materials such as
wood, bamboo or natural fibres; metal; fabric; PU foam. For in-house production of any material at the IKEA supplier, the same applies.
In these cases, trade name can be replaced by sufficient information about the type. See section 4.3.1.1 Sample description of material or
component, bullet b.
The requirements above for identity of component combinations and name of process combinations do
not apply to combinations that were used in any article at the IKEA supplier before this version of IOS-PRG-
0089 was implemented.
Note: When the production date covers a period of more than one day, such as one week, the date to
compare active-from dates in Connect shall be the first day of the period covered by the production date
(the Monday, in the case of a week number).
The active-to date of the verification document shall not be later than the Monday of the production date
(week) of the article for which the document is valid plus renewal period plus ten weeks.
Table 3: Formulas for active-from and -to dates, as well as active period, for verification documents for
complete article
Formula (complete article)
Active-from Connect document active-from date ≥ Monday of the production date of tested article
date
Active-to date
Connect document active-to date ≤ Monday of the production date of tested article +
document renewal period + ten weeks
Note: For dates, “≥” means same day or later than; and “≤” means same day or earlier than.
The active-to date of the verification document shall not be later than issue date of the verification
document plus renewal period plus ten weeks.
Table 4: Formulas for active-from and -to dates, as well as active period, for verification documents for
material/component/process
Formula (material/component/process)
Active-from
Connect document active-from date ≥ Document issue date
date
7.3.2.3 SD or SoC/DoC with statement of validity from delivery date different from the issue date
If an SD or an SoC/DoC has a statement that it is valid from an earlier delivery date than the issue date,
then the earlier date can (as an option) be used instead when deciding the active-from and active-to dates.
Table 5: Formulas for active-from and -to dates, as well as active period, for verification documents with
several issue dates
Formula (verification documents with several issue dates)
Active-from
Connect document active-from date ≥ Last issue date of the document
date
7
Examples:
- Co-issued SD by two companies that are separate tiers in the supply chain.
- DoC pasted together by the issuer from different part DoCs with different issue dates.
Note: a revised test report is not considered as a verification document with several issue dates. See section 7.3.3.
The new active-to date can be given in Connect by changing to the new active-to date; or, if this is not
possible 8, by re-registering the test report in Connect with the new active-to date.
The extension of active period of the verification document is only valid until new items are purchased and
used.
When selecting a new active-to date, the active period of a verification document shall not be extended for
longer than one new standard renewal period for the document, and in any case not for longer than one
year. If at the end of the extended active period, the criterias for extension are still fulfilled, the document’s
active period may be extended again, under the same time rules.
The IKEA supplier shall add a comment (in Connect ‘Comment’ field) explaining why the verification docu-
ment is still active. If the extension of active period is done be re-registering the existing verification
document in Connect, the new active-from date shall be one day after the old active-to date.
8
If the IKEA supplier gets verification documents automatically transferred from the IKEA Components or GA supplier, it is not
technically possible to extend the active period of that document.
Note: Identification of the tested sample must be clear enough in the test report to show that it still is the
same production batch being used by the IKEA supplier.
As stated in section 6.2, there shall in this case be an unchanged-status statement from the chemical
producer. Document type for the statement shall be ‘Material (Safety Data Sheet)’. It shall be registered in
Connect in exactly the same way as the original SDS (except for the active-from date and the document
name). If the unchanged-status statement from the chemical producer is an e-mail, it shall be converted by
the IKEA supplier into a pdf before registering it in Connect.
The active period of the statement, and the extension of the active period of the existing SDS, shall not be
longer than the original allowed active period of the SDS.
If there are several requirement sources that apply to the article for the same verified property of the
article/material/component/process, then each requirement source shall be selected. However, if a
requirement is found both in specification and TED, it is enough to give the specification as requirement
source. This is still the case if the requirement is stricter in the TED, including if the requirement is defined
in the specification but the limit is stated in the TED.
Note: For requirements with the requirement source ‘CPSA/CPSIA’ stated in more than one specification, all
relevant CPSA/CPSIA sub-types shall be selected.
If a requirement source has changed its specification number (for example, if an existing requirement is
moved to a new specification), the requirement source registration in Connect shall be changed if the
active-to date of the verification document is more than 18 months after the publication date of the new
requirement source (specification).
If the report has been revised by the laboratory, the original number will be extended with a revision ID,
typically “-02”, “-b”, “RV” or similar. This extension is part of the ID of the revised TR, and shall be included in
the test report ID in Connect.
Note that in some cases the test report ID may be accompanied by information that is not part of the test
report ID, such as “test report for IKEA supplier” or similar. If there is such information, which clearly is not
part of the unique test report ID, do not include it in the test report ID in Connect.
IKEA will provide a guide on Supplier Portal with examples of how to define the TR ID from typical ways
how labs may write them. If the precise test report ID is not clear from the test report or this guide, please
contact the laboratory.
Special requirements:
1) The test report numbering system of a few test laboratories restarts from report 1 every year. In such
a case, when the original ID of such a test report does not include the year, the full test report ID
shall be created by merging year and report ID. Use the format ###/YYYY, where ### represents the
report ID stated in the report and YYYY is year of report. For test reports that have been revised, the
version ID is to be included in ###.
2) A few test laboratories have separate test reports per material or per test method. These separate
reports are merged into multi-reports by the laboratory. For these test reports, the following applies:
a. If there is a main TR ID, this main test report ID shall be registered.
b. If the TR does not have one main TR ID, then each separate TR ID shall be registered in Connect,
separated by a comma and a blank-space (, ), together making up the TR ID of that document.
For example: “ABC123, ABC124, ABC125”.
Manually writing in the test laboratory name in the free-text box is only allowed for test reports from
laboratories that are not IKEA-approved (if such lab is allowed in the specific case).
9
If needed, the IKEA supplier can request further time up to a total of ten days. Depending on the urgency, approval may be given, and
is valid if in writing, for example e-mail.
9 Definitions
These definitions also apply when these terms are used in other documents in the Product Documentation.
Combination attribute A piece of information, registered by the IKEA supplier, which defines the properties of a
(in Connect) combination in Connect. A combination attribute describes the criteria for when condi-
tional verification requirements in the Product Documentation apply.
Connect The IKEA Connect archive. Connect is the IT tool used by IKEA suppliers and IKEA to store
verification documents and data for IKEA articles.
General Agreement A supplier who has a general agreement with IKEA and receives requirements directly
(GA) supplier from IKEA for furniture components or similar sub-products, which they supply to the
supplier of the IKEA sales item, under the general agreement with IKEA.
GHS format (of SDS) The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a
global agreement including requirements on SDS. Many countries’ SDS rules are based
on GHS, including those of the EU.
Term Definition
8. Exposure controls/Personal protection
9. Physical and chemical properties
10. Stability and reactivity
11. Toxicological information
12. Ecological information
13. Disposal considerations
14. Transport information
15. Regulatory information
16. Other information
IKEA-approved Test laboratory or certifier listed in IKEA “TRS Lab Search” system (accessed through Sup-
laboratory plier Portal).
Note: an IKEA-approved laboratory is approved for one or more individual test methods.
It is not approved for test methods that are not listed for that lab in TRS Lab Search.
IKEA sales item A product available for purchase by an IKEA customer. Sales item refers to the product in
the form that it is delivered by the IKEA supplier.
IKEA supplier A supplier who has a contract with IKEA and receives requirements directly from IKEA on
the article that they produce. This means:
• Supplier of the IKEA sales item.
• General Agreement (GA) supplier.
• Supplier to IKEA Components of items with a product description from IKEA Com-
ponents.
• IKEA Components commission supplier, i.e. a supplier supplying items to an IKEA sup-
plier, under a commission agreement with IKEA Components, and where the items
have a product description from IKEA Components.
Issue date of an SDS The date when the version of the SDS was compiled. For first version of an SDS, this is the
date when the data was originally compiled. Issue dates after that are at each revision/
review by the issuer.
Note: printout date, if not connected with a revision/review of the SDS, is not an issue
date (even if it may sometimes be called that on some SDSs).
Latin-based alphabet Alphabet using Latin/English letters, that is a, b, c, d, e, ..., as well as letters based on
these letters but with added marks, such as à, á, ä, ć, ç, č, đ, é, ę, ğ, ı , ł, ö, ő, ... .
Material grade A material where the material composition and key properties are defined in a standard.
Example: a metal alloy standard. Example: a metal alloy standard.
Official stamp A stamp, chop or seal used by the company on a document as an official statement.
Equivalent to signature.
Physically identical Articles with different article numbers but exactly the same structure, same components,
article same colour, the only difference being administrative, meaning different article numbers
for different regions and the consequent differences in labels/markings.
Term Definition
Producer of a The company who:
material/com- • does the last processing of the material/component, or (for process:) who carries out
ponent/process the process; or
• sells the material/component/process under their own brand.
For solid wood and for wood-like natural materials, the material producer does not need
to be the forestry company or the saw mill. The producer can also be seen as any pro-
cessor downstream from the forestry/cultivator/saw mill.
For metal, the material producer does not need to be the metal melter. The producer can
also be seen as any processor downstream from the metal melter.
Notes:
- A sub-contractor cannot count as the producer of a material or component that they
receive from their customer, even if they subject it to a process, as they are not in
control of the supply chain of the material/component. If the last processing is done
by a sub-contractor, then the customer who orders the processing counts as the last
processor of the material or component.
The sub-contractor can only be responsible for the materials that they buy or for the
actual process that they carry out. For example, if the sub-contractor buys and
applies inorganic coatings to the customer’s component, the sub-contractor may be
seen as the producer of the surface coating layer in so far as regards properties that
are not dependent on the substrate.
- A company who distributes materials/components of their sub-supplier’s brand and
doesn’t do any processing of the materials/components is not a producer, they are a
distributor.
Product The requirements on the article that are given to the IKEA supplier in Product Docu-
Documentation mentation (PDOC), and as updated according to Supplier Implementation Requests (SIRs).
(PDOC)
References to the Product Documentation in this specification also concern Product
Description or equivalent for products for IKEA Components.
Production batch A production batch manufactured on the same occasion with the same raw materials and
constant process parameters.
The maximum length of production batch – even with the same raw materials and con-
stant process parameters – is seven days. After that it becomes a new production batch,
even if the producer hasn’t changed batch number.
A production batch should have a batch number. If the supplier of the materials/com-
ponents does not provide a batch number, then separate production dates shall be seen
as separate batches.
Term Definition
Production Date For an IKEA sales item: the date when the IKEA sales item was completed. This is when
all parts, including warnings, instructions, labels and consumer pack as applicable, have
been put together as one unit, to be purchased by the IKEA customer.
For an IKEA article from a GA supplier: the date stated on its identification label. This is
the date when the last step of the production process that may affect the physical or
chemical properties of the material is completed.
For an IKEA article from IKEA Components supplier (including from an IKEA
Components commission supplier):
- For articles that are individually marked with a production date (on the article or on
its individual packaging), it is the date when the individual article was completed,
packaged and date-marked.
- For articles that are not individually marked with a production date, it is the date
marked on the smallest packaging unit.
- For packaging material from nominated packaging supplier, the production date is
according to requirements in Product Documentation (SIR). (At time of publication
of this specification, IOS-PRG-0089 version 3, these requirements are found in IOS-
P-0010 General packaging requirements or IOS-P-0013 General packaging requirements
for kitchen & laundry appliances.)
Depending on the requirements in the Product Documentation, the production date (as
marked on the article) may cover a day, a week or other period.
Renewal period The time period for which a verification document in Connect can be active before it is
required to be renewed regardless of any change in the verified item.
Default renewal period according to IOS-PRG-0089 is one year, but other renewal period
can be stated in the requirement source.
Representative test A representative test is a test where the tested sample (material/component/process/
construction-within-an-article/complete-article) represents other materials/components/
processes/constructions/articles that differ only by factors that do not affect the results of
the performed test.
This means that if a representative case is tested and passes, the other cases covered by
this representative test are equally certain to pass as if they had been tested themselves
and passed.
Requirement source The requirement source for a verification document is the requirement document (e.g.
specification or technical description) in Product Documentation which contains the
requirement to be verified.
In Connect, there is a data field called “Requirement Source”.
Sales documents Documents which are prepared and used during and immediately after sales of goods.
For example: bill of sale, contract of sale, receipt, invoice, or other documentation which
identifies the buyer, seller, item(s) purchased, and the date (or time period) of purchase.
Self declaration A declaration issued by the producer or supplier of an item (production input, such as a
material or a component) to confirm that a requirement is fulfilled.
Term Definition
If a document is required to be registered in Connect as document type “Self declaration”
it is a self declaration, whereas if it is to be registered as any other document type, it is
not a self declaration.
Sub-contractor A company who receives materials or components from their customer and operates a
process on them and supplies back the processed materials/components to the cus-
tomer. The materials/components remain the property of the customer, not the sub-
contractor, during the process.
Trade name The name used when ordering (selling/buying) the item (such as a material or a compo-
nent). This can be trade name, commercial name, item ID, product code or equivalent.
Transport documents Documents used to convey information about goods that are transported (by water, land
or air).
Undue influence Undue influence in this case refers to actions undertaken by a test orderer or their agent
to attempt to influence a test laboratory to change their results in a way that is not ob-
jectively warranted. Examples of undue influence include actions advantageous to the
test laboratory or their staff such as gifts, bribes, the promise of business, and similar
benefits. Undue influence can also include threats of actions disadvantageous to the test
laboratory such as the threat of loss of business.
Examples of what is not undue influence (i.e., what is permitted): Request that an error in
a test report is corrected. The request must be based on facts. The test laboratory always
has the final word in deciding whether to approve the request. (Note: If the request is
rejected, any further attempt to force the laboratory to give in to demands to change the
test results constitutes undue influence.)
Verification document A document used to show compliance with a requirement. For example, a test report, a
self declaration or a certificate.
Worst-case testing A worst-case test is a test where the tested sample (material/component/process/
construction-within-an-article/complete-article) represents a worst case compared with
other materials/components/processes/constructions/articles, where at least one
affecting factor may differ, but it is clearly identifiable which is the worst case.
This means that the worst case is the sample that is the most likely to fail the test. And, if
the worst case is tested and passes, the other cases covered by this worst-case test are at
least equally certain to pass as if they had been tested themselves and passed.
10 References
Links provided in the References are for information purposes only and are valid at the time of publication
of this specification.
Table 7: References
Reference Name
GHS Latest version (9th) of GHS that can be found at the link below:
https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/GHS_Rev9E_0.pdf
GHS description of SDS format is in Section 1.5.3.2.