Lead Testing

New regulations and new deadlines
On January 30, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission granted a one-year extension to the February 10, 2009 deadline for certain products to be regulated under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The CPSIA requires all children’s products to be tested for total lead, seven additional heavy metals present in the soluble material, and three or six organic compounds by independent testing labs. The law affects manufacturers of toys, bicycles, bed sheets, mattresses, cribs, hair bows, puppets, and virtually anything else a child (under 12 years of age) might come into contact with. The law requires that each accessible part or component of the product be tested.

Lead, which has been banned from paint in the U.S. since 1978, is a neurotoxin that can harm the brain, lower IQ and cause behavioral and learning problems in children. Under the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC 16 C.F.R 1303) regulations, the following timeline will apply to regulating lead in children’s products:

• February 10 2009: Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger may not contain more than 600 ppm of lead. Children’s products that contain more lead than 600 ppm are banned in the U.S. after this date and the sale of those products can result in significant civil and criminal liability. The statute provides that paint, coatings or electroplating may not be considered a barrier that would make the lead content of a product inaccessible to a child.
• August 14, 2009: Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger cannot contain more than 300 ppm of lead.
• August 14, 2011: Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger cannot contain more than 100 ppm unless the Commission determines that it is not technologically feasible to have this lower limit. 

Stork can help
Stork experts are standing by to help you navigate the new and far-reaching regulations. There is also great deal of information available on CPSC 16 C.F.R. 1303 at the Commission's website. 

In today's tough economy and tight regulatory environment, a well-run quality program can make the difference between success and failure. Stork experts are committed to helping you meet the standards you need to succeed. Let us provide you with critical lead testing data and certification for your products and parts.

Contact us to answer your questions about testing for lead or other contaminants at info.tct@us.stork.com.

Download:

• View Lead Testing brochure (pdf)

Stork locations offering Lead Testing services:

Related services:

• Residue Analysis
• Positive Material Identification - PMI
• Materials Selection
• Polymers & Advanced Materials Failure Analysis
• Chemical Analysis
• Paints and Coatings Materials Analysis
• Metallurgical Analysis
• Investigative Chemistry
• Product Testing

News about Lead Testing at Stork:

• Stork approved to conduct lead testing on children's products