CPSIA Testing / REACH
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) Compliance Solutions / Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
At the end of 2011, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted to lift the long-standing “stay of enforcement” for the third-party testing and certification requirements for toys and other children’s products subject to the lead content phthalates and ASTM F-963 mandatory toy safety standard imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA).
As a result, toys, textiles and apparel, jewellery and most other children’s products (primarily intended for use by children 12 years of age and younger) manufactured on or after January 1, 2012, must be certified as meeting these and any other applicable CPSC safety standards (e.g., lead paint and small parts) as specifically required in accordance with CPSC Testing and Certification Rule. These certificates must be issued based on passing test results from a CSPC-recognized third-party testing lab. In addition, in December 2011, the CPSC formally recognized the allowance of testing of component parts and materials in lieu of final product testing, if strict recordkeeping and other requirements are met. These new developments, among other new and pending CPSC regulations affecting toys and other children’s products sold in the U.S., mean that makers and importers of such products need to reassess their CPSC compliance efforts and programs. Failure to comply with these new requirements could mean the delay or seizure of products at U.S. ports-of-entry, and could even lead to fines being levied by the CPSC.
REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry. It also promotes alternative methods for the hazard assessment of substances in order to reduce the number of tests on animals.
In principle, REACH applies to all chemical substances; not only those used in industrial processes but also in our day-to-day lives, for example in cleaning products, paints as well as in articles such as clothes, furniture and electrical appliances. Therefore, the regulation has an impact on most companies across the EU.
REACH places the burden of proof on companies. To comply with the regulation, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate to ECHA how the substance can be safely used, and they must communicate the risk management measures to the users.
If the risks cannot be managed, authorities can restrict the use of substances in different ways. In the long run, the most hazardous substances should be substituted with less dangerous ones.
REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on 1 June 2007.
As Your Trusted Partner In The Testing, Inspection And Certification Of Consumer Goods, Premier Testing Services India Offers Comprehensive CPSIA & REACH Compliance Solutions That Enable You To Meet, Maintain And Evolve The Quality, Safety And Performance Standards Of Your Regulated Products.