STR-R NOW OFFERS OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CERTIFICATIONS

STR-Registrar, LLC is pleased to announce that it will become the first ANAB Accredited registrar to offer accredited Occupational Health & Safety Management System Certifications in America to the ANSI Z-10 Occupational Health & Safety Management System Standard.

In the fall of 2006, ANAB (ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board) announced a program whereby accredited ISO 9001:2000 Registrars could apply and be approved to certify companies to the ANSI Z-10 OH&S Standard. To that end, STR-R has made formal application to offer and certify organizations to this standard. For an in-depth overview of this certification and STR-R's program click here.

REACH UPDATES

REACH Regulation Implemented On June 1, 2007

REACH went into force on June 1, 2007. REACH will replace 40 existing legal acts and create a single system for all chemical substances. The REACH Regulation derived in Europe, gives greater responsibility to the industry to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances. Read more.

STR To Sponsor Free DCA Webcast On Reach

STR is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Design Chain Associates' upcoming webinar on REACH. ' In an update of last fall's important and very well-received webcast, Mike Kirschner and Robert Donkers, one of the original authors of the REACH legislation, provide insight into what Europe's Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals ("REACH") law is about, as well as the latest information on this very important regulation.

With the possibility of impacting as many as 30,000 substances, which could result in the restriction of hundreds of those for certain uses, no company can afford to miss out on learning more about this critical piece of legislation. The webcast will air on July 13, 2007 at 11:00AM PDT. For more information on this and other DCA webcasts, and/or to sign up, please contact Alyce Mayer at alyce.mayer@strus.com, or access DCA's website via: www.designchainassociates.com/mailinglist.html.

REACH Seminar Held In Hong Kong

On May 17, 2007, The Hong Kong Trade Development Council invited experts and relevant industry representatives to brief the industry on REACH's requirement and share their insights in complying with REACH. The European Union's REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) will impact many businesses in Hong Kong. Due to enter into force in June 2007, REACH will affect all manufacturers, importers and users of chemicals to different extents, and streamlines the existing legislation on "new" and "existing" substances. Read more.

FDA UPDATES

FDA Import Alert: Toothpaste Contaminated With Diethylene Glycol

In May this year, up to 4.6% of Diethylene Glyco had been found in toothpaste originating in China and marketed to Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Since last year, deaths had been caused in Panama due to cough syrup containing this chemical after it had been falsely labeled as "glycerin" and intentionally attended into the syrup. Thus, this had aroused much concern worldwide. Read more.

RoHS UPDATES

Korea's National Assembly Passed The Act For Resource Recycling Of Electrical And Electronic Equipment And Vehicles

Korea's National Assembly passed the Act for Resource Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles on April 2, 2007. The regulation goes into force on January 1, 2008.

As a first look at the new legislation, the scope is very broad and inclusive and has RoHS, ELV, and WEEE aspects to it. This regulation leaves out all the important details such as detailed scope (certain classes of automobiles, and electronics initially equivalent to that of the pre-existing Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources), substance restrictions and concentration limits, and design for environment requirements. These will all be defined by Presidential Decrees and Ordinances from the Korea Ministry of the Environment.

When you compare China RoHS and Korea RoHS one difference is that Korea is not requiring OEMs to label their products as compliant.

TOY INDUSTRY UPDATES

CPSC Warns About Worn Vinyl Baby Bibs

In Washington, D.C. on May 2, 2007 the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff warned that there is a potential risk of lead exposure from baby bibs with cracked or peeling vinyl surfaces. This consumer alert applies only to used bibs that are worn or have deteriorated. Pieces of vinyl containing lead could pose a hazard to infants if they are swallowed. CPSC staff recommends that parents and caregivers discard bibs that are in poor condition to avoid any potential exposure to lead from swallowed vinyl. Press release.

Study Shows An Average Of 17 Children Died Per Day In Summer 2004

On April 30, 2007, Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury and founded in 1987 as the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, released a study entitled The Safe Kids U.S. Read more.

The article above was reprinted with the permission and authorization of the TIA - Toy Industry Association, Inc. For more information regarding TIA membership and the many benefits the association provides, please contact the TIA at: Toy Industry Association, Inc., 115 Broadway, New York, NY 10010. Tel: 212 675-1141, Fax: 212 633-1429 or via e-mail: www.toy-tia.org.

Safety Of Ride-On Toys

On May 31, 2007, Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce (SHAIC) announced the recent quality inspection result of Ride-on Toys and it was reported that 71.4% of products complied with the safety standard requirements. Major failures are due to the entrapment hazards, braking system and height of pedal. Read more.

San Francisco Ordinance, No. 86-07

San Francisco Ordinance, No. 86-07 was approved in April this year. This ordinance re-states the ban on toys, child care products, and child feeding products made with certain phthalates. At the same time, it repeals the previous ban on toys, child care products, and child feeding products made with Bisphenol-A, pending State action. Read more.

Updates On China Compulsory Certification (3C) Of Toy Products

The Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China published a notice for the implementation of the China Compulsory Certification (3C) of toy products on May 25, 2007.

Beginning on June 1, 2007, the toys that do not have 3C certification or without carrying the 3C certification mark, are prohibited from sales in the China Market. Read more.

New Amendment To Australian / New Zealand Toy Safety Standard - AS/NZS ISO 8124.1: 2002

The Standards Australia / Standards New Zealand published the Amendment No. 1 to AS/NZS ISO 8124.1: 2002 on May 25, 2007. If you are a registered user of Standards Australia or Standards New Zealand, you can download the Amendment through either:
Standards Australia or Standards New Zealand.

In this amendment, the following clause is added under Appendix ZZ.
Clause 4.18.2(d) Delete existing item (d) and replace with the following: Each projectile, without compressing it and whatever its orientation, shall not fit entirely into the small parts cylinder, as shown in Figure 13. This requirement applies regardless of the age group for which the toy is intended.

For inquires or other information toys and reliability testing in Hong Kong, please email enquiries@strhk.com or in the U.S. send email to inquiry@strus.com.

Register For The CPSC Safety Forum On Toys With Magnets

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a Forum on Magnet Safety on Monday, June 18th, from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. at the agency's headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. This forum has been organized to discuss additional ways to protect children from potential magnet ingestion injuries, including additional requirements and outreach to educate parents and caregivers. Manufacturers, medical and technical experts, ASTM International, and consumer groups will be represented. As previously reported, an ASTM standard for magnets was published in May 2007. To register for the CPSC safety forum on toys with magnets, click here.

EVENTS/SEMINARS

Shuster Seminar On "Global Sourcing Quality Management" To Be Presented At The Institute Of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Expo

Are You Buying Ingredients Offshore? Supply Chain Quality and Safety in the global market is a critical factor in the food industry. Recent quality and safety issues with products sourced in China have amplified concern among the industry and consumers. If you are buying ingredients overseas, directly or through an agent, you are challenged with product quality and food safety at all critical points in the supply chain.

Shuster invites you to a seminar on, "Global Sourcing Quality Management", during the IFT Food Expo in Chicago, on July 30, 2007. Read more.

Shuster To Exhibit At IFT 2007 Food Expo

Shuster will exhibit at booth #1774 at IFT's 2007 Food Expo, being held July 29-July 31, 2007 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. Shuster will showcase the company's comprehensive quality assurance, food safety and product development services offered to all segments of the food industry. If you would like to meet with staff members during the show or learn more about our programs and services, please contact Katie Griffin at katie.griffin@shusterlabs.com. For show infomation click here: www.ift.org.

Back By Popular Demand: STR and CSCC Launching Additional Social and Security Seminars in 2007

China: STR and CSCC are launching 25 informative and interactive compliance seminars for manufacturers, vendors, agents and suppliers in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China. The pre-scheduled seminars will run from July through December 2007. Topics are "China compliance specific" and will include: ICTI Code of Conduct Requirements, WRAP Awareness Training, China Wages and Hours, Good Hiring Practices, Building Your Own Sustainable Compliance Program (for factories), Environmental, Health and Safety in the Workplace, and C-TPAT Compliance (U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism). The seminar schedule will be posted to our CSCC website soon: www.cscc-online.com or contact Dawn Marchand at dmarchand@intlcompliance.com.

India: STR India is also launching their very first "open registration" C-TPAT compliance seminar for suppliers, vendors and carriers in August 2007. Participants will receive practical advice on navigating their way through the process of complying with C-TPAT. Our experts will review common concerns and compliance solutions, conduct a procedures writing workshop and will give advice on how to sustain security compliance over the long run. Attendees will also receive a "take-home" procedures writing tutorial and copies of the presentation among other useful handouts. For more information, contact Dawn Marchand at: dmarchand@intlcompliance.com.

STR To Attend The Licensing International Expo, June 19-21, 2007, At The Javits Convention Center In New York

Now in its 27th year, Licensing International is the most established event driving the $180B licensing industry. It's the only event that showcases more than 6,000 brands annually, where brand-owners, retailers and consumer product manufacturers can connect and spot trends and brands that will drive products to retail shelves the following year. For more information on the event, please visit www.licensingshow.com. To meet with STR staff during this Licensing International, please contact Karolyn Helda at karolyn.helda@strus.com.

International Consumer Product Safety Conference An Overwhelming Success

The first International Consumer Product Safety Conference was held in China on May 21 and 22, with over 350 participants from numerous countries. The conference was co-hosted by China's AQSIQ and the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO), and STR was proud to be a Contributing Sponsor. Speakers from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Health Canada, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS), China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the European Commission provided insight into market surveillance and product safety. Ben Lau of STR-HK and Susan DeRagon of STR-US participated in panel discussions related to designing safe products and monitoring products once they reach the marketplace.

CTC NEWS

CTC Client Worldwide Network

CTC officially launches its CTC Client campaign to establish client loyalty, by creating the group's first International Network.

This program allows international customers to communicate on their quality assurance program, backed up by the guarantee offered by CTC expertise and its network of international subsidiaries and accredited laboratories, inspection facilities and R&D platforms. CTC thus confirms its position as the expert in the domain of quality assurance solutions for the footwear and leather goods industries and reinforces its brand awareness among its International client base.

The campaign hinges on several elements for their promotional and PR activities and a free subscription to "CTC International Newsletter" that keeps client informed of international news, on the group's activities notably the advances in terms of R&D in various fields such as traceability, comfort, environment, industrialization and standardization. As of today, thousands of customers have taken out membership and supported this operation allowing CTC to consolidate its position as the international leader in the field. Contact the CTC Groupe at www.ctcgroupe.com.

Inauguration Of CTC Guangzhou's Shiling-Based Site

CTC Guangzhou's Shiling-based site, which opened at the beginning of the year, was officially inaugurated by Pierre Beaupoil, Manager of CTC Shanghai, Marc Folachier, CTC Groupe's Chief Executive Officer, Yves Morin, Chief Operating Officer, and Jean-Luc Chaverot, Director of Testing and Audits, on March 27th, 2007. They were accompanied by Arnaud Dyduck, Manager of CTC Asia.

Over 200 people attended, including Pierre Waintraub, President of the French Leather goods Federation, along with members of the Chinese political and business community: Cui Jianjun, Major of Shiling Government, Pan Xiao, Deputy for the District of Huadu, Huang Shuji, President of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as well as Yong Xu, Honorary President of the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) and Vice-President of the China National Light Industry Council. Contact CTC Guangzhou, Canny GAN at: ctcguangzhou@ctcgroupe.com.

APPAREL & TEXTILE INDUSTRY UPDATES

New Era For Footwear And Apparel ECO-Testing

The concept of 'Green Manufacturing' is rapidly growing in the textile, apparel and footwear industries. Particularly in European Countries such as Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, etc., consumers are not only looking for the product styles, but also the way of product manufacturing in which the process is closely linked to the human health and poses environmental impacts.

With the increasing concerns over the restricted hazardous substances, STR works closely with international/local buyers, retailers and manufacturers to fulfill the public needs for 'green product' by providing testing and consultation services, and working out a list of restricted substances (RSL) on different product types in order to ensure national compliances. Read more.

Textile Ecological Standards 2007

Part I: Arylamines
Ecological standards have been widely adopted by the textile and garment industry in order to promote the use of ecologically friendly chemicals so as to protect our health and the environment. It lays down requirements for parameters like pH, formaldehyde, extractable heavy metals, etc., for industry including retailers and production houses to follow. The new 2007 version of the standard was effective in April 2007. Click for highlights of 2 major changes regarding Arylamines in the standard.

Part II: Banned Dyestuffs
Disperse dyes are usually used for dyeing synthetic fibers like polyester and cellulose acetate. Some of them are known to be carcinogenic or allergenic and are prohibited for use under the ecological standard.

In 2006, the well-recognized textile ecological standard has already extended the list of prohibited dyestuffs to cover the azo-bound Disperse Yellow 23 as it is capable to release the carcinogenic arylamine, 4-aminoazobenzene. Read more.

Part III: Phthalates
Phthalates are commonly used as additives in modifying plastics properties so as to make it soft in texture and fit for use in children's toys. However, they are not bound tightly within the plastic and may leach out as a result of mechanical stress such as chewing or bending and upon exposure to fats, saliva and warm temperatures. Moreover, scientific findings have revealed that major family members like DEHP (Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate) and DINP (Di-isononyl Phthalate) have toxic effects in long term. Read more.