New York, NY (July 28, 2014) - The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) announces the publication of the complete North American Product Category Rules (PCR) for builders hardware. These rules were developed to assist manufacturers in the technical assessments necessary to produce environmental product declarations (EPDs).
BHMA initiated development of the PCR, marshaling the expertise of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in the field of environmental impacts. The full BHMA Product Category Rules document is available to all manufacturers for download in the new sustainability section of the BHMA website, along with helpful definitions of basic terminology.
“Responding to a need for uniform requirements, BHMA also ensured that international PCR documents stand in alignment with our final PCR document," says BHMA Executive Director Ralph Vasami. “These Product Category Rules are the first industry-wide resource for hardware and demonstrates our industry’s commitment to constructing more environmentally conscious buildings in North America.”
The first Product Category Rules cover locks, latches, exit devices, door closers, hinges, and other associated products. BHMA’s PCR will facilitate the generation of analyses of a products’ environmental impact – a step that must be completed in preparation of EPDs while also streamlining comparisons of the completed EPDs across these product categories.
After several months of development, the PCR was posted for review on the UL Environment and GEDnet websites as part of its open consultation period. Upon consideration of comments additional revisions were incorporated and the document was finalized in late Spring 2014.
To learn more about BHMA’s Product Category Rules or view the full document, visit the website at http://buildershardware.com/bhma-pages/bhma-sustainability.
