This is an old technical article and the information may be outdated. Please contact certification@tcodevelopment.com with any questions regarding the information in this article.
When applying for TCO Certified, a brand owner manufacturing TCO Certified products at a factory covered by the EICC VAP Recognition Program may now send the following documentation directly to TCO Development for review, instead of going through the designated external social reviewer:
• Recognition plaque from EICC VAP Recognition Program
• Audit report
• Corrective action plan
• Closure audit report
For those brands using the VAP Recognition Program, this step will add some efficiency to the application process for TCO Certified, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the TCO Certified system.
All 3 VAP Recognition Program levels (Platinum, Gold and Silver) may be used. However, at the Silver level, the submitted audit report may not show any findings at the Major level or higher in areas covered by TCO Certified criteria: specifically labor law, health and safety, and management systems.
Note: this harmonization applies only to the verification process connected with audit reports and corrective action plans. For full details on TCO Certified criteria for socially responsible manufacturing, check your relevant criteria document, section A.7.1
