Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd – Accolade Safe Plus

Overview

GreenTag^Cert™ Silver, GreenRate Level A Certified, resilient, slip resistant, homogeneous polyurethane reinforced vinyl flooring with low VOC and post consumer recycled PVC content. Suitable for a range of commercial flooring applications.

 

Download the GreenTag® certificate here:

The product has achieved GreenRate Level A for GBCA Materials Calculator third party certification and has also been GreenTag® Certified for other Credits shown below.

 

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

GreenTag^Cert™ LCARate Assessment

Integrated Design Synergy

Product has not been assessed under this criterion. Product does not create synergy within other building systems and hence this SAC is deemed 'Not Applicable'.

 

Accolade Safe Plus has been attributed a score of 0.85 on a scale of -1 to 1 where 0 is neutral and 1 is worst case BAU under SAC-2 Life Cycle Assessment - Greenhouse. The lower the score, the better the product performs in this category. Product achieves Greenhouse gas emissions of 11.13kgCO_2e/m².

Greenhouse emissions are comprised of negative impacts from CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions.

The Greenhouse gas footprints for the product are measured in accordance with ISO 14064:2006 or PAS 2050:2008.

 

Accolade Safe Plus has been attributed a score of 0.25 on a scale of 0 to 1 where 0 is neutral and 1 is worst case BAU under SAC-3 Life Cycle Assessment - Health. The lower the score, the better the product performs in this category.

ECOSPECIFIER CAUTIONARY ASSESSMENT PROCESS (ESCAP)

Issues of Concern / Red Lights

The product has successfully passed the ESCAP and no issues of concern or red light comments exist regarding the toxicity of the products. The manufacturer of All Seasons Velour® has a certified ISO 14001 EMS and has demonstrated the gathering of data on toxics usage and generation in a format that allows for the tracking of all toxics purchased or generated, with the aim of elimination of toxics in the production process, along with a commitment to continuous improvement.

The plasticisers used in Accolade Safe Plus have been specifically selected as they have been classified as not hazardous and pose no known risk to either human health or the environment from their current use.

Product contains Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) which, being chlorine based, is a controversial material from a long term eco and health preferable stance. However PVC's durability, long performance life, resilience to moisture and low maintenance requirements make it a commonly used product. Furthermore, Accolade Safe Plus utilises a small percentage of post consumer recycled PVC content which reduces these impacts to a minor extent.

The first step in production of PVC is making the monomer, vinyl chloride. This process involves chlorine gas and may involve mercury in the case of other manufacturers (see Glossary). Vinyl Chloride monomer (VCM) is a Category 1 carcinogen with potential worker health impacts during manufacture. Contemporary air filtration minimises OH&S implications. Disposal via incineration (unlikely in Australia) can produce dioxins. Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Flooring division offer a product takeback scheme (see PAC 7 End of Life). Accolade Safe Plus is in compliance with the 'Best Practice PVC Guidelines' and Accolade Safe Plus utilises Australian manufactured Vinyl Chloride that uses mercury free technology.

Product contains a small percentage of constituents (>0.1%) that are associated with the Risk Phrases: do not breathe fume, keep locked up, avoid exposure, material and container must be disposed of as hazardous waste. These issues refer to the Occupational Health & Safety during manufacturing of the raw ingredients of these products and are not considered a risk when bound into the final product. Accordingly, precautions for workers such as reducing the risk of inhalation and appropriate storage and transport and using appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will mitigate potential issues to low risk in accordance with an ecospecifier risk assessment. Furthermore, Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd have implemented a certified ISO 14001 EMS to ensure the appropriate management of constituents and commitment to improvement.

The un-reacted raw materials of some of the dark coloured flooring options contain carbon black. In 2006, the IARC reclassified carbon black as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Class 2B). This issue relates to the inhalation of pure powdered and ultra-fine carbon black dust during manufacture and is not considered a risk, as the carbon black is not in a respirable form when bound into the product. Refer to Materials Safety Data Sheet for further information.

Product has low TVOC emissions improving occupant health. See glossary for information on VOCs.

 

• Energy and Fuel use
• Air Pollution
• Ozone Depletion
• Human Health
• Ecosystem Quality
• Eco-Toxins and Waste
• Resource Depletion
• Water Pollution

 

Biodiversity - Physical Impacts

Accolade Safe Plus has been attributed a score of 0.38 on a scale of -1 to 1 where 0 is neutral and 1 is worst case BAU under SAC-5 Biodiversity - Physical Impacts (non-LCA).

The mining and processing of calcium carbonate can produce emissions to land from surface impoundments of liquids, solids, slurries and from storage facilities.

Accolade Safe Plus has been certified as Best Practice PVC by NCS International mitigating potential biodiversity impacts associated with the manufacturing of virgin PVC. Petroleum, the primary raw material of PVC, can have significant marine biodiversity impacts in its extraction and potentially catastrophic impacts when spills occur.

 

Accolade Safe Plus has been attributed a score of 0.50 on a scale of 0 to 1 where 0 is neutral and 1 is worst case BAU under SAC-6 Corporate Social Responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
Armstrong World Industries (Australia) flooring division have implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy that demonstrates that the organisation considers the impacts of its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities and all other members of the public sphere during corporate decision-making.

LEGAL COMPLIANCE
Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd has not been involved in any litigation in the past 5 years and has demonstrated compliance with relevant social and environmental legislative or other legal requirements.

COMPLIANT SUPPLY CHAIN
Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy that demonstrates the organisation considers the impacts of its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, and all other members of the public sphere during corporate decision-making.

Independent assurance and documented evidence has been sighted by ecospecifier global from major suppliers demonstrating whole of enterprise social compliance to International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions (as a minimum):

• Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (Conventions 87 and 98);
• Elimination of Forced and Compulsory Labour (Conventions 29 and 105);
• Elimination of Discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (Conventions 100 and 111);
• Occupational Safety and Health (Convention 155 and its accompanying Recommendation No. 164); and
• Occupational Health Services (Convention 161 and its accompanying Recommendation No. 171).

ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS
Supplier public claims on products' environmental performance are verified as compliant with ISO 14021 'Environmental Labels and Declarations - Self-Declared Environmental Claims' (Type II Environmental Labelling requirements).

 

Ecospecifier GreenTag® GreenRate Assessment

As for SAC3 - LCA Greenhouse.

As for SAC3 - LCA Health.

 

DATA COLLECTION

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
The company operates under an ISO 14001 Certified EMS at their manufacturing facility.

MATERIALS USE OPTIMISATION

Accolade Safe Plus utilises a small amount of post consumer recycled PVC sourced from PVC bottles, however the quantity of recycled PVC does not qualify this product for credit under the GreenTag® GreenRate Materials Use Optimisation Priority Areas of Concern (PAC-3) or Green Star™ recycled materials credits.

 

As for SAC4 - LCA - ecospecifier ecoPOINT and please see the product EPD for more information.

 

As for SAC6 - Corporate Social Responsibility.

 

FITNESS FOR PURPOSE
Product demonstrates compliance with the Standard for resilient floor coverings in compliance with BS EN 649:2011 Standard Specification for homogenous and heterogeneous polyvinyl chloride floor coverings and other relevant national fitness for purpose standards.

Please see the 'Green Specifications' tab above for more details.

REPLACEMENT PARTS
This is a homogeneous product. Approximate pattern matching may be possible if surface is damaged and cutting-in is required. Exact colour match cannot be guaranteed.

 

PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd offers a publically available Product Stewardship Program (PSP) for Accolade Safe Plus which entails contractual arrangements with their customers to take products back at the end of the product's in-use phase. Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd will provide appropriate arrangements to collect off cuts and end of life products for recycling into new flooring products or recycling by an external facility.

Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd are both supporters and signatories to the following PVC Industry Product Stewardship Scheme;

- Product Stewardship Programme, Australia. See www.vinyl.org.au

VERIFICATION OF PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
Armstrong World Industries (Australia) Pty Ltd has provided evidence that the necessary arrangements and relationships exist in order to carry out the obligations of its PSP.

DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY
Not applicable.

 

IEQ Certification: VOCs: This product is Certified to Meet Green Star IEQ VOC credits for flooring.

The GreenTag^® GreenRate certificate may be used to demonstrate compliance to the relevant Green Star® IEQ credits for VOC emissions of flooring products.

Indoor Environment Quality
Accolade Safe Plus has been tested for TVOC to ASTM D5116 and complies as a minimum with TVOC emissions limits as follows:

a)   Total VOC limit 0.5mg/m²/hour

b)   4-PC (4-Phenylcyclohexene) 0.05mg/m² per hour.

Product does not adversely affect IEQ and these low emissions add to a healthy indoor environment.

Armstrong recommends installation using SV-200 and LVT-100 acrylic vinyl adhesives.

Accolade Safe Plus has been compared to an industry standard Nylon 6.6 Broadloom Carpet which serves as the business as usual for the interior panel product category.  The life cycle inventory data compiled for the BAU product was obtained from industry studies.

 

Information last verified on 28^th June 2012.  Certification valid until 28^th June 2013.

For other products certified by this company, a list of certified products or more information about the Global GreenTagCert ^TM Certification, please click here.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Adhesives & Sealants.

RELATED KNOWLEDGE BASE ARTICLES
Ecospecifier Eco Priority Guide: Floor Surfaces
Ecospecifier Eco Priority Guide: Adhesives, Tapes & Fasteners

 

MATERIALS CALCULATOR CREDITS

* Material Calculators have been modified by ecospecifier for presentation purposes.

Source - GreenStar^® Rating Tools