The IT industry has traditionally relied on a reactive approach to substance safety, where hazardous substances are banned or restricted only after harm has been done.
TCO Certified Accepted Substance List takes a different, proactive stance: regarding all substances as hazardous until proven otherwise. Chemical expert Stephen Fuller – creator of the list – explains how it is raising chemical safety benchmarks worldwide.
Why reactive isn’t enough
The need for a more proactive approach is clear. Over 350,000 different substances are currently available for industrial use, yet only 1% have been risk-assessed for their impact on worker safety, human health, and the environment.
Legislation struggles to keep pace – and when it does act, so-called regrettable substitutions are common: once banned or restricted, a harmful chemical is simply swapped for another that may be just as bad, or worse.
Hazardous until proven otherwise
Stephen Fuller explains the proactive thinking behind TCO Certified Accepted Substance List.
“Rather than assuming a chemical is safe until proven dangerous, we regard all substances as hazardous until shown to be safer for both people and the environment,” he says. “We gather information about each substance – including confidential supplier data – and have it evaluated by an independent toxicologist. Only if it is found to be a safer alternative, can it be added to the list, and allowed to be used in certified products and manufacturing processes.”
Safer components mean safer products
TCO Certified’s criteria target many hazardous chemical types used further up the supply chain, for instance, stabilizers. Commonly used to increase plastic durability, many stabilizers have traditionally relied on lead-based compounds, which pose serious environmental and health risks.
As stabilizers are used in many common plastic components, TCO Certified can help make entire product categories safer. “Our current focus is on components such as cables, printed circuit boards, and enclosures,” says Stephen. “This means that the criteria can easily be applied to a broader range of products, such as televisions, freezers, or any other electrical product.”
Improving worker safety
The risks associated with hazardous substances are not limited to the final product. All too many manufacturing processes expose workers to significant amounts of harmful chemicals, often through direct, hands-on contact.
“Unfortunately, many substances that have long been restricted in Europe are still in use in Asian production lines,” says Stephen. “Workers are at extreme risk, especially without proper training and protective equipment. We see higher cancer risks due to this kind of chemical exposure.”
To address this, TCO Certified Accepted Substance List also covers process chemicals, such as cleaners and degreasers. In addition, workers must be provided with risk training and protective equipment.
Raising the bar worldwide, now and in the future
By making the list publicly available and driving safer alternatives to hazardous substances, TCO Certified is raising chemical safety benchmarks well beyond the IT industry. Its influence is already being felt across sectors – some U.S. states have managed to restrict harmful flame retardants, referring to the list to point out safer options.
“It’s gratifying to see our work having an impact beyond our requirements,” says Stephen. “By identifying safer alternatives and showing they are already available and being used, we provide the evidence that hazardous substances are no longer necessary – supporting policymakers and others working to restrict harmful chemicals, and demonstrating that safer substitution is not only possible, but already happening.”
The work continues. In the coming years, TCO Certified’s substances criteria will expand further, covering new chemical categories in both products and manufacturing processes – such as adhesives and polyvinyl chlorides (PVC) – to make products and production safer. Also, the criteria for safer substances will be applied on suppliers further up the supply chain.
The goal remains the same: a future where only safer substances are used in certified products, their packaging and manufacturing.
