And an HPD differs from EPD product environmental disclosure Because an EPD focuses on life cycle assessment and environmental impacts, whereas an HPD focuses on ingredient transparency and health information related to building materials.
Table of Contents
- What is an HPD in Saudi Arabia?
- What is the difference between an HPD and a product safety certificate?
- What does an HPD document contain?
- Basic product data within the HPD
- Required materials and chemical ingredients
- Why is preparing an HPD difficult for some factories?
- Supplier management in the disclosure process
- How do we protect the confidential formulas of factories?
- What is Hazard Screening?
- The relationship between HPD and the LEED system
- The relationship between HPD and the WELL system
- The relationship between HPD and the Mostadam system
- What products benefit from HPD?
- Steps for preparing HPD for factories
- The role of Albuad Environmental Company in preparing HPD
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is an HPD in Saudi Arabia?
HPD stands for Health Product Declaration, which means an organized health disclosure of product contents and health information associated with the materials and components it is made of. The term "HPD certificate" is used commercially and in research processes, but the more accurate description is a product disclosure document or health declaration.
HPD aims to help architects, consultants, developers, and buyers understand what is inside the building materials and products used in buildings, especially products that contain multiple chemical ingredients or may affect indoor environmental quality.
HPD answers questions such as:
- What materials make up the product?
- What chemical substances are inside it?
- What is the concentration or concentration range for each material?
- What is the function of each material within the final formula?
- What is the appropriate CAS number or chemical identifier?
- Is the material associated with approved hazard lists?
- What is the level of disclosure completeness?
- Are there any commercially protected ingredients?
- Has the disclosure been verified by a third party or not?
Factories wishing to prepare the health disclosure file can benefit from the service Setting up HPD From the Albuad Environmental Company company.
What is the difference between an HPD and a product safety certificate?
It is important to clarify that HPD is not an absolute safety certificate, nor is it a judgment that the product is safe under all conditions of use. It is a disclosure document for ingredients and their associated health information, not a complete exposure assessment or a detailed toxicity study of the product.
The difference between Hazard, Exposure, and Risk
- Hazard: An inherent property of a substance that may make it capable of causing a harmful effect.
- Exposure: The amount, manner, and duration of actual human exposure to the substance.
- Risk: The probability of a negative effect occurring as a result of the interaction between the hazard and exposure.
Therefore, the presence of a substance associated with a health hazard does not necessarily mean that the product causes harm when used in reality, and the absence of a substance from a specific hazard list does not prove absolute safety.
What is HPD not considered to be?
- It is not a certificate that the product is completely safe.
- It is not a mechanical or technical quality certificate.
- It is not a substitute for the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
- It is not a substitute for VOC testing.
- It is not an exposure assessment for workers or end-users.
- It is not conclusive proof of the absence of any hazardous substance.
- It is not a substitute for an advanced chemical risk assessment when needed.
What does an HPD document contain?
HPD details vary depending on the product, disclosure threshold, ingredient presentation method, and the availability of supplier data. However, they typically include basic product data, a list of materials and ingredients, chemical identifiers, concentration ranges, functions, and hazard screening results.
Key Components of an HPD Document
- Product and manufacturer data.
- Disclosure scope and limits.
- List of materials and components.
- Chemicals and CAS numbers.
- Concentration or concentration range of each material.
- Function of each material within the product.
- Disclosure status for each component.
- Hazard Screening results.
- Supplier information and supporting data.
- Issue date and validity period.
- Third-party verification status when applicable.
Basic product data within the HPD
An HPD begins by defining the product accurately so the reader knows what the disclosure covers and what it does not. The description must be specific, especially when the product covers more than one model or more than one manufacturing location.
Examples of Required Product Data
- Commercial name of the product.
- Product type and industrial classification.
- Product number or SKU code.
- Manufacturer or production sites included.
- Intended use in the construction sector.
- Issue date and expiration date.
- Disclosure method and completeness level.
- The scope covered by the announcement.
Required materials and chemical ingredients
The core value in HPD comes from disclosing product components in an organized manner. A product may consist of main materials, layers, additives, adhesives, preservatives, pigments, flame retardants, fillers, or potential manufacturing impurities.
Examples of required chemical data
- The approved chemical name of the substance.
- CAS number or EC Number when available.
- The accepted generic name when confidentiality rules apply.
- The exact concentration or concentration range.
- The function of the substance within the product.
- The substance data source or supplier.
- Supporting documentary evidence.
- Current component disclosure status.
- Results of hazard screening associated with the substance.
Why is preparing an HPD difficult for some factories?
The difficulty in preparing an HPD is often not in filling out the form, but in accessing accurate data from suppliers and supply chains. A manufacturer may know the final product formulation, but not the complete composition of certain materials purchased from an external supplier.
Examples of materials that may cause disclosure difficulty
- Resins.
- Binders.
- Industrial pigments.
- Composite adhesives.
- Primer paints.
- Flame retardants.
- Concrete admixtures.
- Plastic compounds.
- Chemical preservatives.
- Surface treatment materials.
A supplier may send a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that does not contain all the details required to prepare an HPD, especially if some ingredients are below traditional disclosure limits in the SDS but are required for health disclosure.
Supplier management in the disclosure process
Supplier management is one of the most important stages in preparing an HPD, as it determines the completeness of the disclosure and the accuracy of chemical information. Therefore, suppliers must be dealt with in an organized manner that protects confidentiality and clearly requests the required data.
Supplier Management Steps
- Identify materials that need additional data.
- Classify suppliers according to the importance of the material and its proportion in the product.
- Send standardized technical questionnaires.
- Determine the required disclosure threshold.
- Request CAS numbers, concentration ranges, and chemical functions.
- Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) when needed.
- Allow direct and secure communication with the consultant or reviewer.
- Follow up on responses and escalate delays.
- Document gaps and unresolved materials.
- Link any change in suppliers to updating the HPD file.
How do we protect the confidential formulas of factories?
One of the biggest concerns for factories when preparing an HPD is revealing formulation secrets or intellectual property. This can be managed in a professional way that balances transparency and the protection of sensitive information.
Tools for protecting confidential formulations
- Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).
- Secure digital data rooms.
- Confidential review-only attachments.
- Using concentration ranges instead of exact percentages when rules permit.
- Direct supplier disclosure to the independent reviewer when necessary.
- Using accepted generic names when confidentiality rules apply.
- Separating the public version from the confidential technical proof file.
- Controlling access permissions to sensitive data.
- Logging versions and changes in documents.
- Preventing the use of supplier files outside the disclosure purpose.
The important thing is that confidentiality does not turn into misleading concealment. Disclosure status and gaps must be clarified in a manner compatible with the HPD standard and project requirements.
What is Hazard Screening?
After identifying the substance and its chemical identifier, it is screened against approved hazard lists and sources within the HPD methodology. Hazard Screening aims to show whether the substance is associated with specific health or environmental hazard categories.
Examples of hazard categories that may appear
- Carcinogenicity.
- Reproductive toxicity.
- Endocrine disruption.
- Skin or respiratory sensitization.
- Acute toxicity.
- Chronic respiratory effects.
- Neurotoxicity.
- Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT).
- Ecotoxicity and aquatic toxicity.
- Skin and eye irritation.
- Specific Target Organ Toxicity (STOT) hazards.
Convenient lists must not be selected while ignoring required lists, nor should the absence of a substance from a single list be interpreted as definitive proof of its absolute safety.
The relationship between HPD and the LEED system
Green building systems such as LEED use material ingredient disclosure tools within the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization pathways. HPDs can be one of the documents that help project teams understand product contents and health information when evaluating building materials.
However, it is important to clarify that products do not receive a "LEED certification" on their own; LEED grants certification to buildings, spaces, or projects, while products can contribute to achieving specific requirements or points depending on the system version, project type, and accepted documentation.
The relationship between HPD and the WELL system
WELL is associated with the health and well-being aspects of building occupants, and therefore focuses on material transparency and information related to the health content of products. HPDs can be used within material disclosure pathways when the document complies with the requirements of the version used in the project.
The utilization of HPD in WELL depends on:
- The version of the WELL system used.
- Project type and scope.
- The required disclosure threshold.
- The completeness of the declaration and data validity.
- The validity and date of the document.
- Third-party verification status when requested.
The relationship between HPD and the Mostadam system
HPD can support the material transparency file in projects targeting sustainability standards in Saudi Arabia, especially when project requirements are linked to indoor air quality, low-emitting materials, sustainable procurement, or documentation of building material components.
However, HPD does not replace VOC testing, emission certifications, or any technical document stipulated in the project requirements or rating system. Therefore, the project manual and technical requirements must be carefully reviewed before considering an HPD sufficient.
What products benefit from HPD?
The importance of HPD increases in products that affect the indoor environment of buildings, contain multiple chemical mixtures, additives, or hard-to-track components.
Examples of products that benefit from HPD
- Decorative and industrial paints and coatings.
- All types of flooring.
- Adhesives and fixing materials.
- Sealants and caulking materials.
- Thermal, waterproofing, and acoustic insulation materials.
- Gypsum boards and false ceilings.
- Built-in office and home furniture.
- Doors, windows, and interior facades.
- MEP system pipes and products.
- Plastic products and insulation membranes.
- Chemical admixtures for concrete.
- Composites materials.
Steps for preparing HPD for factories
The preparation of HPDs for factories goes through several interconnected stages starting from product identification and disclosure threshold, then creating the bill of materials, communicating with suppliers, hazard screening, drafting, and finally publication or verification when needed.
Practical Steps
- Identifying the product and disclosure scope.
- Determining the disclosure threshold.
- Creating the list of materials and components.
- Launching the supplier outreach program.
- Identifying chemicals and CAS numbers.
- Collecting concentration ranges and material functions.
- Conducting Hazard Screening.
- Preparing the HPD draft.
- Reviewing the technical quality of the document.
- Preparing the evidence file and supporting documents.
- Coordination with the independent verifier when verification is selected.
- Publication, maintenance, and periodic updating.
The role of Albuad Environmental Company in preparing HPD
Albuad Environmental Company helps factories and building material suppliers prepare HPDs by building an organized pathway that combines product understanding, supplier management, protection of confidential formulations, hazard screening, and file preparation for publication or verification according to project requirements.
Support services include:
- Evaluating product readiness for HPD preparation.
- Determining the appropriate disclosure method.
- Building the list of materials and components.
- Reviewing SDS, TDS, and CoA when available.
- Preparing supplier questionnaires.
- Managing Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).
- Verifying CAS numbers and chemical identifiers.
- Conducting Hazard Screening.
- Preparing HPD Builder data.
- Reviewing the technical quality of the document.
- Preparing the evidence file and supporting documents.
- Coordinating with reviewers when third-party verification is requested.
- Addressing reviewer comments.
- Managing periodic updating and renewal of documents.
HPD can also be linked with other services such as EPD preparation When a factory needs Life Cycle Environmental Disclosure alongside health disclosure of ingredients.
Trust and transparency information E-E-A-T
This article was prepared to focus on the HPD certification in Saudi Arabia as a product ingredient and health information disclosure document, rather than as a substitute for an EPD or a safety or quality certificate.
- Experience: The article focuses on practical challenges such as supplier data, CAS numbers, formulation protection, and hazard screening.
- Jurisdiction: The article explains the difference between health disclosure, safety, exposure, and risk.
- Reliability: The article does not claim that HPD proves absolute safety or automatically guarantees LEED, WELL, or Mostadam points.
- Transparency: The role of the Albuad Environmental Company is technical support, disclosure preparation, and data management, while the validity of the document depends on the requirements of the standard, the project, and the verification status when requested.
Frequently asked questions about HPD certification in Saudi Arabia
Is HPD a product safety or quality certificate?
No. HPD is not a safety or quality certificate, but rather a structured disclosure document that presents product contents and health-related information associated with ingredients according to the HPD Open Standard.
What is the difference between HPD and EPD?
EPD focuses on the environmental impact and life cycle of the product, while HPD focuses on product ingredients, chemicals, and associated health information.
Does HPD replace SDS?
No. HPD does not replace the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), because each document has a different purpose and scope. SDS focuses on safety and material handling, while HPD focuses on content disclosure and health information.
Can confidential formulations be protected when preparing an HPD?
Yes, confidentiality agreements, secure data rooms, focus ranges, or direct disclosure to an independent reviewer can be used when needed, while maintaining transparency of the disclosure status.
Is an HPD required in every LEED project?
It is not absolutely required in every project, but it can help with material transparency pathways depending on the LEED version, project type, and accepted documentation.
Does an HPD replace VOC testing?
No. An HPD does not replace VOC testing or low-emission certifications if they are required by the project or rating system.
What is the biggest challenge in preparing an HPD?
The biggest challenge is obtaining accurate data from suppliers regarding chemical ingredients, concentrations, and CAS numbers, especially when formulations are trade-secret protected.
How does Albuad Environmental Company help with HPDs?
Albuad Environmental Company assists with readiness assessment, material list building, supplier communication, confidential data protection, hazard screening, and preparing the HPD file for publishing or verification according to project requirements.
Conclusion
Represent HPD Certificate in Saudi Arabia An important tool for factories and building material suppliers wishing to enhance the transparency of their products, especially in projects concerned with chemical components, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable building requirements.
The success of HPD does not depend solely on filling out a form, but on product understanding, supplier management, protecting confidential formulations, gathering reliable data, and inspecting materials according to a clear methodology.
Contact the Albuad Environmental Company to start assessing your product's readiness to prepare an HPD, organize supplier and component data, and prepare a health disclosure file that helps your products compete in sustainable construction projects.
The content was reviewed by a team of environmental experts.
Environmental content at Albuad Environmental Company is prepared and reviewed by a team of specialists in environmental studies, environmental impact assessment, environmental compliance, and environmental monitoring.
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