About the Program
The Toward Zero Exposure program was developed by the members and advisors of the Clean Electronics Production Network, a collaborative multi-stakeholder innovation network, uniting diverse stakeholders including electronics industry brands and suppliers, labor and environmental advocates, governments and other leading experts. Learn more about our work in the Third Annual Report of the Toward Zero Exposure Program.
TZE Program Requirements Updated with Publication of TZE Version 3.0
The streamlined TZE program requirements align with RBA’s Chemical Management Leadership Program (CMLP) by focusing on eliminating exposures to Priority Chemicals, verification, and reporting. The revisions remove requirements that will be covered by the CMLP, improve readability, and add equivalency for appropriate CMLP requirements.
With these updates, TZE V3.0 can better support progress toward our goal of protecting workers from chemical hazards in the electronics supply chain.
Signatories pledge to take the following actions:
Commitments
Eliminate Exposures to Priority Chemicals
Protect workers from exposure to Priority Chemicals in the electronics supply chain, prioritizing elimination or substitution with safer alternatives and protecting workers until that is achieved
Verify and Report
Ensure progress through verification and annual public reporting.
For more details see Toward Zero Exposure V3.0 Requirements and Verification
Program Alignment and Collaboration
The Toward Zero Exposure Program seeks to align, integrate, support and partner with new and existing electronics industry chemical management leadership programs and other supporting programs using the power of collaboration to protect workers, maintain leadership role and reduce redundancies and duplication for electronics companies.
Alignment and Collaboration Principles
Prevent highly toxic chemicals that are no longer in use from re-entering facilities
Maintain CEPN/TZE program leadership, goals and ensure “alignment up”
Harmonize and align to reduce redundancies and duplication in programs
Collaborate with and support partners who align with CEPN’s shared goals
Prioritize transparency and accessibility for the benefit of all stakeholders
Recognize and honor complementary roles and strengths of different programs
Seek best approaches and methods for integration, including
On-ramps and other formal structures between programs
Mutual exchange between the governing bodies of collaborating programs
Program Purpose
The program is a global collaborative leadership effort to reduce worker exposure to toxic chemicals in the electronics supply chain, with the following goals:
Prevent reintroduction of highly toxic chemicals into manufacturing facilities
Protect workers through controls where elimination or substitution is not yet possible
Ensure accountability to workers and the public through verification and progress reporting
Lead the industry toward zero exposure of workers to toxic chemicals and identify priority chemicals for collective action
Prioritize elimination, and substitution with safer alternatives, to both eliminate hazards and align market signals to encourage chemical suppliers to bring better solutions to market
Avoid more harmful substitutions
CEPN members have developed a collection of tools to help support Toward Zero Exposure participants.
Tools
Process Chemicals Data Collection Tool
The Process Chemicals Data Collection (PCDC) Tool, developed and piloted by CEPN members, is a free and publicly available standardized reporting tool that improves the task of collecting and managing process chemicals data. Network members invite all companies in the electronics industry to use the PCDC Tool.
Alternatives Assessment Guide
The Alternatives Assessment Guide is a concise, high-level guide for identifying and evaluating potential substitutions for Chemicals of High Concern used in electronics manufacturing processes.
Qualitative Exposure Assessment
The Qualitative Exposure Assessment (QEA) was designed for facilities where workplace chemical exposure data is not available, to help Environmental Health & Safety professionals without specific chemicals training or expertise in industrial hygiene. The assessment identifies workers’ potential risk of exposure to harmful process chemicals and helps determine controls and ways to both reduce exposure risk and improve performance.
Verification
The Toward Zero Exposure program provides Signatories options for verification. Signatories can choose a self-declared or third-party verified track for the first round of priority chemicals. CEPN has partnerships to provide third-party verification support.
Frequently Asked Questions
For more information refer to our FAQ document.