During a recent crackdown on hazardous chemicals and substances, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found lead above RoHS defined levels in three electronic toys. According to the London-based safety solutions company Intertek Group, the Danish government has removed the toys from sale in Denmark.
The Danish EPA said it plans to continue with similar activities to enforce RoHS legislation in a number of product categories. The enforcement campaign was part of a joint action among other Northern European countries. Results similar to the Danish campaign have been found in other Northern European market, According to a release on the Internet website, the recent sweep in Northern Europe follows increased media and consumer scrutiny of the amount of chemicals in consumer products.
The focus on toys is not a surprise. During the development of the European Union’s RoHS directive, Denmark pushed to toughen the law regarding children’s toys.
An Intertek representative notes that the sweep has found a soft spot in environmental compliance among manufacturers. “While many companies are highly attentive to global compliance requirements, many are not,” says Torben Norlem, chief counsel of Intertek’s Health and Environment Services. “Greater enforcement by governments and the passing of new laws with stricter requirements is increasing the implications and risks for companies that have not made compliance systems a priority.”
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