Research Reveals Consumers' Product Safety Ignorance

FAREHAM, England, August 26, 2010 - New research from product testing expert TÜV Product Service suggests
that UK consumers are putting their safety at risk as they do not understand
the meaning of marks stamped on the products they buy.

Three-quarters (73 per cent) of survey respondents said that they
believed a CE marking on an electrical product meant that it was safe. What
they don't realise is that manufacturers can use a CE marking on their
products without any authorities checking that the proper safety tests have
been done.

When it was explained that CE marking does not prove that a product is
safe, the respondents said they were horrified and worried, or felt misled
(79 per cent), with more than one-third (35 per cent) calling for the CE
marking system to be monitored by an independent organisation.

Every year customs officials stop hundreds-of-thousands of faulty
products being imported into the UK. This is because CE marking is simply a
manufacturer's self-declaration that the product complies with European
legislation. Less scrupulous manufacturers don't bother to test products and
stamp on a fake CE marking, while others misunderstand the complex rules and
pass products that should fail tests.

Children at risk

However, many more unsafe products are being missed by UK authorities.
These make it onto our shop shelves each year, which the Royal Society for
the Prevention of Accidents estimates causes 0.75million accidental injuries
each year.

Most worrying is that 78 per cent of the respondents with children at
home thought that 'CE' meant 'safety'. They could be buying cheap toys which
they think are safe, but that in fact bear a CE marking which means nothing.

The use of fake CE markings has become so widespread that the UK safety
testing industry often refers to it as 'China Export', inferring that the
mark shows that a product has been exported from China, rather than proving
it is safe to use.

Jean-Louis Evans, Managing Director of TÜV Product Service, said: "This
research proves that there is a widespread assumption that CE marking stamped
on a product by the manufacturer is proof of its safety. My advice to
consumers would be not to panic as most of what we use is safe and does
genuinely comply with CE marking safety standards. However, if you are really
concerned about the safety of something, contact the customer service
department of the retailer from which you purchased the item. We don't want
to cause mass panic, but we do want to raise consumers' awareness of what
identifies a product as safe to use," concluded Evans.

About TÜV Product Service www.tuvps.co.uk

TÜV Product Service is one of the world's leading experts on product
testing with 170,000 product certifications in circulation globally. It is
also the leader in the test and certification of medical devices, with more
than 1,000 customers globally. With 13,000 employees worldwide, TÜV covers
regulatory and voluntary aspects associated with satisfying legal and
cultural requirements for products. It also helps retailers across the world
to ensure a consistent supply chain by helping them to ensure safe, compliant
and reliable products are put on the shelves.

Contact: Sarah Miles +44(0)7500-042587, smiles at blaze-pr.co.uk