Standardization Could End Questionable Claims, Level Field

In 1989, a group of ventilation cleaning contractors founded the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). The group sought to elevate industry professionalism by developing cleaning standards. Their goal was to establish a set of uniform standards that association members would have to abide by in order to earn NADCA certification. The association developed the professional designation “Air System Cleaning Specialist,” attainable only upon passing a rigorous 150-question exam.

A growing number of certifying bodies and certifications are cropping up in our industry. Still, there is no consensus certification or standard-making body.

Right now, there is an alphabet soup of well-meaning standard bearers and certification designations vying for credibility among industry professionals: IICRC, CBSE, RBSM and IEHA, among others, for in-house professional cleaners and building service contractors. There is also Green Seal, LEED, LEED-EB and NFSI certification and the newest industry certification organization, AICS.

The fragmentation of industry standard-making entities has raised new concerns among jan/san distributors. Mark Newhouse of Laymen Global in Rahway, N.J., says his company recently lost an account because his competitor’s product carried a certification, while his line — though having comparable ingredients — did not. Right now, it’s basically a marketing issue, he contends. He says a singular certification authority would level the playing field by holding certified manufacturers accountable to a uniform industry standard.

“If our customer sales representatives suggest a new product, I want them to be confident that it works as per what the manufacturer says it does. Having a governing body that approves these claims will keep manufacturers from making dubious claims, which in turn will keep our customers from having false expectations,” Newhouse says.

Ultimately, distributors and their customers would be on the same page regarding product claims. Assistant editor Alex Runner gauges the standards debate and its impact on industry players in his cover story report,
“Certified Confusion.”