Chain of Custody Certification
Chain of custody certification is how the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) verifies that forest-based materials produced according to our rigorous standards are credibly used along the product’s path from the forest to becoming finished goods.
The FSC label on a finished product signals that the materials used during production have met the chain of custody requirements at every step in the supply chain, from sourcing to distribution.
Chain of Custody Standard
This is the core standard for FSC chain of custody (CoC) certification. It specifies the requirements which apply to all CoC-certified and applicant organiations with respect to sourcing, processing, labelling, and sale of forest-based products as FSC certified.
The standard is divided into four parts. Parts I and II cover the universal requirements that are mandatory for all CoC certificate holders. The requirements specified in Parts III and IV apply in accordance with the scope of each certificate.
Core Labour Requirements
FSC chain of custody certificate holders are required to implement the FSC core labour requirements in their operations and must be able to demonstrate this to external third-party auditors.
To comply with the FSC core labour requirements, the organisation must:
- Not use child labour.
- Eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labour.
- Ensure that there is no discrimination in employment and occupation.
- Respect freedom of association and the effective right to collective bargaining.
Core Labour Requirements Self-Assessment Templates
Part of conforming with the FSC core labour requirements is that organisations are required to assess how they already meet the requirements with a self-assessment. To help organisations with implementing the FSC core labour requirements, FSC has developed some country-specific self-assessment templates that provide more details than the generic self-assessment form found in the chain of custody standard.
Steps to Certification
step
01
Get quotes
Contact FSC-accredited certification bodies (and/or small business group schemes if appropriate) to request quotes.
step
02
Choose a certification body
Submit a certification application to the FSC-accredited certification body or group scheme of your choice.
step
03
Get ready
Ensure that an appropriate CoC Management System is in place, in line with the requirements of FSC-STD-40-004.
step
04
Get audited
Undergo an audit by your chosen certification body or group scheme.
step
05
And go!
Upon completion of a successful audit, you will be given an FSC certificate and your certificate details will be added to the FSC certificate database. You will be issued with an FSC certification code (XXX-COC-000000) and a trademark licence code (FSC-C000000).
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