Health Product Declarations (HPDs) are one of the primary specification tools for LEED v4 projects, WELL, and many other green building rating systems. The HPD is simple at its core in that it provides two things: a content inventory and a list of potential health hazards associated with product ingredients. However, navigating the HPD Open Standard can be daunting for first time users.
This series aims to clarify the HPD Open Standard for building product manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, and subs. In our previous segment, we discussed HPD contents, associated health information, GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals, and GreenScreen List Translator. If these terms are unfamiliar to you, I suggest starting our series from Part One. Today we will examine the HPD Format Section 1 Summary.
HPD Open Standard Format Section 1: Summary
The HPD Open Standard Format Summary contains information about the building product and the manufacturer. The information includes summary information about the content inventory, VOC data, product certifications, a LEED-Precheck, special conditions, third party verification, and publication. The Summary includes:
- Product Name
- Manufacturer Name
- HPD Unique Identifier
- Classification
- Product Description
- HPD Tool Reference
- HPD URL
- Issuance Number
Bottom Line: The summary is a critical part of the HPD and building product manufacturers need to ensure the information is correct. The summary is one of the first items that LEED project teams view and if they see red flags from the start, they will likely be discouraged and may assume the HPD contains invalid information.
General Information Breakdown
Building product manufacturers need to focus on the summary details to ensure accuracy. The Product Name will appear in the footer of the entire HPD document. If an HPD refers to multiple brands, then the other brand names will be mentioned in the Product Description. It is critical that the manufacturer responsible for the final product be listed as the primary manufacturer.
HPDs use the six-digit Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) MasterFormat designation for the Classification in the summary. If no CSI MasterFormat designation exists, then additional identifiers may be used. The Summary includes a brief product description that describes if the product is part of an assembly or system. The description also includes the function of the product, special uses and performance criteria, the parent company, and any additional specification resources.
The Summary also contains what tool was used to create the HPD. For example, did the manufacturer use the HPD Builder or Toxnot? The URL for the published HPD must be available and link to the HPD Public Repository. Finally, an issuance number is given with the publication of the manufacturer’s HPD.
Bottomline: Building product manufacturers should pay special attention to the HPD Summary as it can sway a LEED project team if the information is incorrect or incomplete. First impressions are important and if your HPD’s Summary is unreliable then the AEC firm is sure to question the rest of the document. Research finds that the more time participants are afforded to form a first impression, the more confidence in impressions they report.
In our next segment, we will review the Content Inventory in the Summary Section. The content inventory requires reporting of information about substances at the material or product level. It is the building product manufacturer’s responsibility to obtain and validate this information from internal and supply chain sources. Good luck on your next project! ▪