PSC H178

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system is the governmentwide taxonomy for identifying what the federal government buys; PSCs are recorded in FPDS and used across SAM reporting, procurement analytics, and spend-tracking workflows. The Product and Service Codes Manual (Acquisition.GOV) is the authoritative registry and guidance for PSC assignment, maintenance, and interpretation; agencies and contracting officers use the manual to determine PSC selection practices and to resolve classification questions.¹

PSC H178 is listed in the PSC Manual as "Quality Control- Recreational and Athletic Equipment." It is a service-oriented code used in federal contract reporting to classify quality-control, testing, inspection, or related assurance services associated with recreational and athletic equipment. Use of this PSC indicates the primary procurement action is services tied to verifying equipment safety, performance, or compliance.¹

• See also on G2X:
  • G2X — PSC H178 overview
  • Related PSC — H278 (Equipment and Materials Testing — Recreational)
  • Related PSC — H978 (Other Quality Control — Recreational)

What this PSC covers

• Quality-control services for athletic gear and sporting equipment, including inspections, sampling, and verification activities.¹
• Inspection and testing of recreational equipment (playground, park, and gym equipment) to evaluate safety and usability.¹
• Acceptance testing and compliance verification for sports-related hardware and components prior to fielding or turnover.¹
• Condition assessments, safety certification services, and corrective-action verification tied to recreational assets.¹
• Laboratory or field testing of performance characteristics for athletic apparatus and related reporting deliverables.¹
• Documentation, reporting, and corrective-action follow-up stemming from quality-control work for recreational and athletic equipment.¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

No official NAICS-to-PSC crosswalk entries or mandated NAICS mappings for PSC H178 are specified in the PSC Manual; specific NAICS selection is determined by contracting officers on a per-acquisition basis and should reflect the primary industry activity of the supplier or the predominant work performed. Not specified by official sources.¹

Category and placement (optional)

• Manual placement: PSC H178 appears under Category H (Quality Control / Services) in the PSC Manual’s services listings (Section B).¹
• Nearby/adjacent PSCs include H177 (musical instruments quality control) and H179 (cleaning equipment quality control), indicating H178 is the recreational/athletic equipment quality-control entry within the H-series.¹

Frequently asked questions

• Q: How is PSC H178 used in FPDS reporting?
  A: The PSC selected for a contract is entered in FPDS data element 8A, "Product or Service Code." Agencies should report the PSC that best identifies the predominant product or service procured; use H178 when the primary procurement action is quality-control services for recreational or athletic equipment.²

• Q: Does the PSC Manual list detailed includes/excludes for H178?
  A: The PSC Manual provides the title and classification for H178 but does not always include itemized includes/excludes for every PSC; contracting officers typically document specific scope, inclusions, and exclusions in the acquisition’s statement of work. Not specified by official sources.¹

• Q: Is there a standard NAICS code that must accompany H178?
  A: The PSC Manual does not mandate a single NAICS mapping for H178; NAICS selection (FPDS data element 8G) should reflect the industry classification most representative of the work performed and is selected per acquisition by the contracting officer. Not specified by official sources.¹

• Q: Where to find authoritative guidance on assigning PSCs like H178?
  A: The Product and Service Codes Manual on Acquisition.GOV is the primary authoritative source for PSC definitions and management; FPDS documentation (data dictionary and glossary) explains how PSCs are entered and used for reporting and analytics.¹

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC H178 overview (unnumbered)
• Product and Service Codes Manual (authoritative PSC registry).¹
• FPDS-NG Data Dictionary / Product or Service Code (data element 8A) and FPDS glossary.²

References

1. Product and Service Codes Manual, Acquisition.GOV — official PSC registry and guidance: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. FPDS-NG Data Dictionary / FPDS documentation (data element definitions, including Product or Service Code 8A): https://www.fpds.gov/downloads/FPDSNG_DataDictionary.pdf