The RBA maintains the Industry Focus Process Chemicals Policy (IFPC Policy) to support industry harmonization on responsibly managing process chemicals of concern that are prioritized for elimination, substitution, and materials restrictions. The IFPC Policy was initially established in April of 2021 and was updated in November of 2025.
The IFPC Policy serves as a manufacturing restricted substances list (MRSL) by establishing usage restrictions for process chemicals that contain chemicals of concern included in its IFPC List. This policy applies to any facility in the electronics production sector that is subject to the RBA Code of Conduct. The IFPC Policy is operationalized through assessment criteria within the Validated Assessment Program (VAP) and the Specialty VAP (SVAP) on Chemical Management.
For the purpose of the RBA’s IFPC Policy, process chemicals include chemical products used during the manufacture of a product and/or operation and maintenance of related production equipment that are not intentionally added or incorporated into a product. Process chemicals that contain IFPC List chemicals should be prioritized for elimination and substitution as higher, more effective levels in accordance with the Hierarchy of Controls. At a minimum, in-scope facilities using process chemicals containing any IFPC List chemicals at concentrations above GHS cut-off values in manufacturing processes must adequately prevent and/or mitigate occupational exposures to these chemical hazards through the application of engineering controls. The RBA maintains the IFPC Policy and its IFPC List in consultation with members and external stakeholders such as the Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN). All revisions and updates to the IFPC policy are subject to approval by the RBA Board of Directors.
The full IFPC Policy is publicly available here. RBA members and their suppliers can access additional information and resources on IFPC Policy through the IFPC Information Portal in the RBA’s eLearning Academy, including:
- RBA’s Industry Focus Process Chemicals (IFPC) Policy
- RBA’s Process Chemical Management Guide
- RBA’s Process Chemical Management & Safety Learning Plan
- CEPN’s Process Chemicals Data Collection (PCDC) Tool
- CEPN’s Qualitative Exposure Assessment (QEA) toolkit
- CEPN's Alternative Assessment Guide and list of resources for safer alternatives.
These resources are also available in Chinese through the RBA's Mandarin IFPC Information Portal.
这些资源也可以通过普通话 IFPC 信息门户以中文形式提供。
To learn more about the RBA’s IFPC Policy, please contact the RBA’s Responsible Environment Initiative (REI) team at REI@responsiblebusiness.org.
