Accessories & Textiles Testing

The latest craze for loom bands has highlighted once again that an apparently harmless product may have long term detrimental effects to health.   Do you believe your products to be product safety compliant?  You may be surprised. Background Phthalates can be found on textiles, coated Leather and more commonly plastic type articles and is required test under REACH and is found within all Retailer Manuals, to which most have their own policy. Legislation: Reference under REAC…

  The Laboratory at Assay Office Birmingham will be taking part in one to one business surgeries at the Giftware Association's Members Day on Thursday 5th June at Federation House, Birmingham. Assay Office Birmingham staff,  Marion Wilson (Marketing Director - The Birmingham Assay Office), Steve Franklin (Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator) and The Laboratory's new Account Manager Vikki Bradshaw will be on hand between 2pm and 4pm to offer advice for testing services for fashio…

Chromium VI is not naturally found in leather but is a harmful by-product which can be created during the leather tanning process. It is a carcinogen which can poison both humans and the environment and its use in leather is already banned in some countries. From 1st May 2015 Chromium VI will be included under REACH, with a 3ppm limit. Testing to such low levels clearly requires sensitive equipment; The Laboratory is prepared for this and is already UKAS accredited for the necessary tests. …

  However, costumes withdrawn from the market in Sweden provide a warning for the industry throughout the EU. In the previous week an “Alien Agent” outfit was withdrawn due to having azo dyes releasing 4-aminoazobenzene above the permitted levels, which made it non compliant with the REACH regulation. Last week two outfits were also withdrawn as they posed a risk for the environment because the plastic in the packaging contained cadmium above the permitted levels (measured value:…