Meeting the requirements of the 'BRC Global Standard - Consumer Products: Issue 2a' ensures best practice standards are developed, implemented and maintained for manufacturers and assembly packers of consumer products.

Manufacturing and assembly packing companies can be certificated against this Standard to demonstrate their competence in maintaining product safety, legality and integrity.

The requirements in the Standard are designed to:

* Satisfy the legal requirement to demonstrate compliance with EU General Product Safety Directive 2001 and 'due diligence'

* Focus on the importance of the design and assembly of products in terms of their being 'fit for purpose' and safe for consumers

* Clearly define the requirements of the customer of the supplier

* Ensure consistency of safety, legality, and quality of product to the customer 

New innovations - Issue 2a has been revised as follows:

* The supplier assesses their product risk using the guidelines supplied in the Standard. The product level is then verified by a Certification Body and/or customer. The supplier is evaluated against the requirements for that risk level. This is a unique concept in Standards.

* The Standard has been written to address the requirements in relation to potential of the product to cause harm to the consumer

* The product risk has been categorized into four levels. Levels are based on product risk to the consumer and each has its own unique set of requirements

* Recommendations have been removed completely or incorporated into the requirements

* For ease of use each set of requirements is held in a different chapter in the Standard. This approach makes the certification process easier for both manufacturers and certification bodies. This is the only Standard of its type. 

The Standard is applicable to the manufacture of a great many consumer products including greetings cards, DIY products (e.g. paints, power tools, nails and hammers), home wares, white goods, and non-prescription pharmaceuticals.

Benefits of the BRC Global Standards

* Comprehensive and focused on safety, legality and quality

* Clear and detailed requirements based on risk assessment principles supported by documented systems

* Standardised reporting format providing information on how sites meet the requirements of the Standards

* Closure of all non-conformities identified at an audit with evidence included in the report before certificates can be issued

* Complementary with existing quality management systems e.g. ISO and HACCP where these meet the requirements of the Standard