SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is advising stakeholders that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published two notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) aimed at reducing the threat of strangulation from window cords.

Issued on January 7, 2022, the NPRs covers both standard and custom window coverings. They are:

1. Amended: Substantial Product Hazard List: Window Covering Cords
2. New: Safety Standard for Operating Cords on Custom Window Coverings

If adopted, the first NPR will amend 16 CFR 1120 to include two new definitions, creating consistency with the definitions in the American National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products:

1. ‘Stock window covering’
2. ‘Custom window covering’

16 CFR 1120 lists consumer products which have characteristics that present a substantial hazard to users The CPSC has determined these hazards can effectively be mitigated against via a product design that conforms to mandatory applicable industry standard, a requirement before sale or import.

Under the NPR, stock window coverings will be considered a substantial product risk if they fail to conform to one or more of three readily observable characteristics in the American National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products:

1. Operating cord requirements in sections 4.3.1.1 (cordless operating system), 4.3.1.2 (short static or access cord), or 4.3.1.3 (inaccessible operating cord)
2. Inner cord requirements in sections 4.5, 6.3, 6.7, Appendix C, and Appendix D, and
3. On-product manufacturer labels in section 5.3

Custom window coverings that fail to comply with one or more of two readily observable characteristics in the same American National Standard will also be deemed a substantial product risk:

1. Inner cord requirements in section 4.5, 6.3, 6.7, Appendix C, and Appendix D, and
2. On-product manufacturer labels in section 5.3

The second NPR will be published under the designation 16 CFR 1260. If adopted, it would require operating cords on custom window coverings to comply with the same performance requirements as operating cords on stock window coverings – see the same American National Standard section 4.3.1.

For more information on the requirements and impact of these two NPRs, see SGS’s original SafeGuardS 054/22.

SGS Furnishings Services

SGS provides a full range of solutions to support home furnishing product manufacturers deliver safe and compliant products to global markets. Services include product design analysis, component and product testing, auditing, inspection and retail store checks. In the end, it’s trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Home Furnishings and Houseware Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full US CPSC Publishes Safety Standard for Operating Cords on Custom Window Coverings SafeGuardS.

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Allen Moldovan

Technical Specialist - Hardlines

Tel: +1 (201) 207-8503

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.

Montreal, Canada (release-news) May 11, 2022 - Future Electronics, a global leading distributor of electronic components, recently won the 2021 Americas Broadline Distributor of the Year Award from TE Connectivity.

Robert Miller, President of Future Electronics, thanked everyone who contributed to the company's industry-leading performance in 2021.

"We sincerely appreciate the collaborative relationship we have built with the TE team, and we are honored to be awarded Americas Distributor of the Year by TE Connectivity," said AnnaMaria Pietromonaco, Future Electronics' Corporate Vice President, Supplier Development. "We look forward to continuing our growth together."

Future Electronics delivered excellent performance in sales and customer growth, as well as other category-specific criteria throughout 2021. This is Future Electronics' fourth major award from TE Connectivity in the past six years.

"We are honored to once again be acknowledged by TE Connectivity as their Americas Distributor of the Year," said Jack Voelmle, Corporate Vice President, International Business Development at Future Electronics.

TE Connectivity recognizes its top performing distributors annually for excellence in strategic categories matched to TE's business initiatives and growth priorities.

Future Electronics was founded by Robert Miller in 1968, and the company remains the only distributor with a globally integrated worldwide IT infrastructure.

For more information, visit www.FutureElectronics.com.

About Future Electronics

Future Electronics is a global leader in electronics distribution, recognized for providing customers with global supply chain solutions, custom-tailored engineering services and a comprehensive suite of passives and semiconductor products. Founded by Robert Miller in 1968, Future Electronics has over 5,500 employees and operates in 170 offices in 44 countries around the world. Future Electronics is globally integrated, with a unified IT infrastructure that delivers real-time inventory availability and access to customers. With the highest level of service, the most advanced engineering capabilities, and the largest available-to-sell inventory in the world, Future's mission is always to Delight the Customer®. For more information, visit www.FutureElectronics.com.

Media Contact

Claudio Caporicci
Global Director, Marketing Communications & Advertising
Future Electronics
www.FutureElectronics.com
514-694-7710 (ext. 4107)
Fax: 514-693-6051
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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.