Consumers themselves can reduce the influx of products that do not meet safety requirements into the Belarusian market
Technical regulations of the Customs Union 007/2011 «On the safety of products intended for children and adolescents» and 008/2011 «On the safety of toys» came into force back in 2012. However, the transition period, which allows the sale of products for children without conformity confirmation to these documents, ends on February 15, 2014. From this date, all of them must be sold only with documents confirming their compliance with the requirements of the TR CU (certificates of conformity, declarations of conformity, state registration certificates) and be marked with the unified mark of product circulation on the market of the Customs Union member states (EAC).
The Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate of Gosstandart explained what consumers should pay attention to in this regard. After all, it is about the most important thing – the safety of products for children (in terms of chemical, biological, mechanical indicators). And who, if not parents, should first and foremost worry about the health of their children.
Deputy Head of the State Supervision Department of the Inspectorate, Tatyana Burkina, believes that after February 15, buyers will find it much easier to navigate the sea of children's goods and toys. Want to make sure a particular product is safe? Look for the EAC mark in its labeling (in addition to the name, who and where it was produced, the date of manufacture, and indications of composition). This will mean that the product has been released into circulation as meeting all the requirements applicable in Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan, and that the necessary documents for it are available. Either the manufacturer itself or the first wholesale supplier to the market of the Customs Union member states has obtained them. The situation will also be simpler for trading entrepreneurs, provided, of course, that they have not purchased something released by a dishonest manufacturer for subsequent sale.
Of course, for some time after February 15, Tatyana Ivanovna adds, remaining stocks of goods not marked with the unified product circulation mark, which entered the market before the specified date, may still be on sale (industrial products, like food, do not have an expiration date). But here, the date of their release, indicated on the label or packaging, can serve as a guide for consumers. If you don't want to risk buying a product without the EAC mark, as it may not have a certificate of conformity, don't buy it; purchase something from more recent arrivals, already certified under the new system. Weighing all the pros and cons of a particular purchase, make a decision in favor of your child.
In general, Gosstandart specialists believe that a lot depends on consumer behavior. If they stop buying substandard products, they will stop importing them into our market. For example, when shoes for primary school children are sold with heels up to 40 millimeters high, exceeding the maximum permissible 25 millimeters, retailers explain that mothers of girls ask for such models. It turns out that they do not know or do not want to know that it is very important to observe this parameter for a developing foot. In closed shoes for all age groups of children, the use of lining made of synthetic and artificial materials is not allowed. But we encounter foam rubber everywhere. The heel part can be open in summer shoes for toddlers up to three years old, although this is not allowed by the technical regulations. So, voting for safety with your wallet is crucial in this matter.
And the fact that goods for children that do not meet the requirements of technical regulations, and especially toys, are still common in our markets is evidenced by inspections of the Vitebsk regional inspection of Gosstandart. Here are some examples. One entrepreneur from Polotsk sold 6 out of 16 checked toy items without packaging, necessary product information on the labeling, without operating and assembly instructions, and without certificates of conformity. In jumpers for children from three months to two years of Russian production, the hook for fastening was bent at 360 degrees, while it should be at least 540. It is clear that the seller did not have a certificate of conformity for this product. The same applies to swings for preschoolers, in which the fastening rope had a smaller diameter than required. A Chinese-made sword for children over three years old, found on sale here, with burrs on the edges and scabbard, can easily cause injury. And an unpacked rocking horse lacked a tilt angle limiter to prevent tipping over.
At the Vitebsk market “Pridokzalny”, inspectors found that a stall belonging to a vendor did not meet safety requirements. With the door closed, it had no ventilation, and the manufacturer used fabric ties as a door fastener, which does not guarantee easy opening from the inside, not only for children but also for adults. Naturally, such products are recommended for withdrawal from sale, and other measures of response provided for by law are taken. But it is impossible to check everyone comprehensively. Taking into account the information presented here, buyers can and should carry out a kind of natural selection. After all, it is parents, grandmothers, and grandfathers who worry about children's safety more than those whose money is at stake.
Vera Murashkina, "Vitbichi"