SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is reminding stakeholders that Maryland has become the latest US state to prohibit per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in several categories of consumer products.

The state’s governor signed SB 273 into law on April 21, 2022. Among the provisions in the new law:

• PFAS prohibited from being intentionally added to Class B fire-fighting foam (FFF), rugs, carpets and certain food packaging materials. NB. second-hand rugs and carpets are exempted
• Disposal of Class B FFF with intentionally added PFAS forbidden in certain settings, e.g., landfill
• Sellers of personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters with PFAS mandated to give written notice to purchasers of the inclusion of PFAS. Must be kept for three years minimum

These requirements will come into effect on January 1, 2024. Stakeholders should be aware that the enforcement dates for prohibition on Class B FFF depend on usage:

• Airports, ports, refineries and chemical plants – September 30, 2024
• Terminals – December 31, 2027
• Allowed to be used by any applicable date specified in federal law for persons who require to use Class B FFF that contains intentionally added PFAS

For food contact packaging materials – substantially composed of paper, paperboard, or other materials derived from plant-fibers – plastic disposable gloves for food preparation, rugs and carpets, the manufacturer must establish a certificate of compliance (CoC).

PFAS are defined in the law as a class of fluorinated organic chemicals that contain at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.

SGS Chemical Testing

SGS offers a comprehensive range of testing services to help manufacturers and suppliers ensure their products are safe and comply with national and international regulations concerning harmful chemicals. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS Chemical Testing Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full Maryland, USA, Regulates PFAS in Certain Consumer Goods SafeGuardS.

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Dr. HingWo Tsang

Global Information and Innovation Manager

Tel: (+852) 2774 7420

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Website: www.sgs.com/cgnr

LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 96,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is advising manufacturers of food contact products that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published a new standard for vitreous and porcelain enamels.

Issued in April 2022, ISO 4531:2022 updates the 2018 iteration in several ways:

• Migration limit for aluminum strengthened five-fold in accordance with EU standards
• Three consecutive release tests must be conducted on one day using the same sample with fresh test solution
• Test reports must include relevant information relating to measurement uncertainly and procedural deviations

To see a full list of the release limits for 16 heavy metals from food contact vitreous and porcelain enamels, see SGS’s original SafeGuardS 056/22.

Stakeholders should be aware that the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) published Opinion No. 24/2018 in 2018. This found that some enameled grill grates released significant amounts of aluminum, antimony, arsenic and nickel. The enameling on certain grills manufactured from steel or cast iron often had an enamel coating to protect against corrosion and facilitate cleaning. The enamel contained a variety of silicates and oxides derived from metals, including aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iron, lead, lithium and nickel. 

The new standard – ISO 4531:2022 – is considered effective immediately.

SGS Food Contact Material Services

SGS’s technical experts have extensive experience of testing materials and articles in contact with food. They can ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials and pave the way for compliance. SGS offers the full range of testing, including migration tests, along with expert advice on emerging regulations, compliance issues and documentation review. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Food Contact Material Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full ISO Issues ISO 4531:2022 for Food Contact Enamels SafeGuardS.

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Dr. HingWo Tsang

Global Information and Innovation Manager

Tel: (+852) 2774 7420

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines

LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 96,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

The nonprofit tech training program, NPower, and TESSCO Technologies Incorporated (NASDAQ: TESS), a leading value-added distributor to the wireless infrastructure construction industry, have announced a partnership to create economic prosperity by launching digital careers for young adults from underserved communities and military veterans.

Under the partnership, individuals who complete the NPower apprenticeship program with Tessco are brought on as Information Technology Systems Management Analysts, supporting employees with technology or other IT-related issues they may have at work. 

The Vice President of Partnership Development for NPower, Kendra Parlock, says this initiative is a model for other companies who want to invest in Baltimore and bring more diversity to their tech departments.

 “I commend Tessco and their bold leadership for creating a new pathway for young adults who often do not get the chance to go to college,” said Parlock. “We hope this new initiative will inspire other Baltimore companies to create more opportunities for NPower graduates.”

According to the 2019 Youth Disconnection Report, Baltimore and its neighboring counties have over 36,000 individuals between the ages of 16-24 who are either not in school or working. Jesse Hillman, Vice President and Chief Information Officer with Tessco, is most excited about the positive impact this partnership has on the local community.

“In our first class of apprentices, many had no degree or tech training when they enrolled in NPower, but they did have the desire and work ethic to learn the skills,” said Hillman, who also serves on the NPower Regional Advisory Board. “I am proud to be a part of two organizations dedicated to training youth and changing the life trajectories for these individuals. We are now excited to welcome a new class of young professionals interested in a career in tech and IT.”

A Closer Look at the NPower Graduate

Approximately 89 percent of NPower students are Black or multi-racial, according to NPower statistics. And 80 percent of all NPower students graduate from the program, earning an average $40,000 to $60,000 starting salary.

NPower Maryland provides tuition-free technology training and certifications to young adult job seekers, offering an alternative fast-track to tech jobs with employers committed to hiring diverse IT talent. The virtual learning environment has made it possible for personal and professional skill building that is integral to the NPower model to continue.

Adults between the ages of 18-25 can apply for NPower training by clicking here. Graduates can apply to the program for real-life experience, skills, and knowledge to be successful in the tech industry. 

About NPower Inc.

NPower is a national nonprofit that is committed to advancing race and gender equity in the tech industry through skills training, real-world experience, support, and mentorships. The organization has helped young adults from underserved communities and veterans move from poverty to the middle class by training them with a range of tech skills and placing them in quality jobs.

Students who enter the free, six-month training program, earn industry-recognized certifications and graduate with the competencies of an IT professional with one to two years of experience.

NPower also places students in paid internships with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Eighty percent of NPower graduates get a full-time job or continue their education. Not only is NPower changing life trajectories for individuals from vulnerable communities, but they are also strengthening the overall competitiveness of U.S. businesses hamstrung by today’s limited pool of IT talent.

To learn more about NPower, visit www.npower.org.

About TESSCO Technologies Incorporated (NASDAQ: TESS)

TESSCO Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TESS) is a value-added technology distributor, manufacturer, and solutions provider serving commercial customers in the wireless infrastructure ecosystem. The Company was founded more than 30 years ago with a commitment to deliver industry-leading products, knowledge, solutions, and customer service. Tessco supplies more than 65,000 products from 250 of the industry’s top manufacturers in mobile communications, Wi-Fi, Internet of Things (“IoT”), wireless backhaul, and more. Tessco is a single source for outstanding customer experience, expert knowledge, and complete end-to-end solutions for the wireless industry. For more information, visit tessco.com.

News Media Contacts

Mark Macias

646-770-0541 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cindy King, Tessco

410-229-1161 

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SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is advising stakeholders that the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has published a new cost-effective qualitative method for detecting the presence of nickel in consumer products.

The new test method is CEN/TR 12471:2022 – ‘Screening for the presence of nickel in articles which are inserted into pierced into pierced parts of the human body and articles intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin’.

Issued in February 2022, it contains a screening methodology that is based on the formation of a red colored metal complex when nickel ions react with dimethylglyoxime in the presence of ammonia. To create the conditions of real-life usage, it incorporates a pretreatment step that uses artificial sweat and heat to induce corrosion on the product’s surface and increasing sensitivity. It also includes a detailed procedure for confirmation of the presence of nickel using dithiooxamide. 

Stakeholders should be aware of the following provisions in CEN/TR 12471:2022:

• EN 1811 (or EN 16128 for spectacle frames and sunglasses) confirmed as the reference method for nickel release
• EN 1811, or EN 12472 followed by EN 1811, acknowledged as the quantitative test for verifying compliance with entry 27 to Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH)
• A positive result during the screening test may not be compliant with the respective nickel release limits falling under entry 27 to Annex XVII of REACH

For an overview of the test method and results, review SGS’s original SafeGuardS 053/22.

The standard is considered effective immediately.

SGS Chemical Testing

SGS offers a comprehensive range of testing services to help manufacturers and suppliers ensure their products are safe and comply with national and international regulations concerning harmful chemicals. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS Chemical Testing Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full CEN Issues CEN/TR 12471:2022 for Nickel Screening SafeGuardS.

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Dr. HingWo Tsang

Global Information and Innovation Manager

Tel: (+852) 2774 7420

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.sgs.com/cgnr

LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 96,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.