SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Global Softlines Technical Manager Frank Kempe to the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Group’s Laboratory Technical Advisory Committee (LabTAC).
Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, Frank joined SGS in 2022. He is responsible for strategic development in sustainability and chemical management across SGS’s global textile and footwear divisions.
Frank’s background is chemical compliance management for the apparel and footwear sectors, and he has participated in various industry groups, including Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) and the German Partnership of Sustainable Textiles. His work has effected real change across a wide range of quality and sustainability topics, including product safety, sustainable materials and resource efficiency. He was original appointed to LabTAC in 2022.
Founded in 2004, the AFIRM Group’s mission is a reduction in the use and impact of harmful substances in apparel and footwear supply chains. It offers a forum for improvements in global supply chain restricted substance management, enables better communications about RSL (restricted substances list) and provides an arena in which to exchange ideas about improving RSL management.
LabTAC supports AFIRM on test method issues, maintains the RSL, communicates RSL information to supply chain members and facilities the exchange of ideas for improving the RSL. The committee comprises five technical representatives from global laboratory networks, with appointments being made every two years from eligible applications.
Frank says: “I am delighted to have been re-appointed to LabTAC and I look forward to continuing my work in helping the apparel and footwear sectors improve chemical management. This is a critical time for manufacturers and suppliers, governments and businesses around the world are under intense pressure to act over climate change and our impact on the environment. Central to this must be the development of better technologies and a move towards the use of safer and more sustainable chemicals. SGS and LabTAC stand at the forefront of this move, helping industry to develop long-term solutions that not only improve chemical management but also enable a better and safer world.”
For further information, please contact:
Keith Tsang
Senior Service Development Manager
Connectivity & Products
Email: cp.media@sgs.com
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 97,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.