SGS Toy Safety Expert Selected to Participate in CPSC China Summit

October 19, 2009

One of 20 U.S. Industry Representatives Invited to Meeting on Product Safety

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- SGS Consumer Testing Services announced today that Fred Mills-Winkler, Technical Director, Toys, is one of only 20 non-government representatives invited to participate in the 3rd Biennial United States-China Consumer Product Safety Summit being held in China this week from October 21-26.

The meeting between the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and its Chinese counterpart, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ), will focus on identifying and discussing measures to ensure that U.S. importers and Chinese suppliers establish a comprehensive and systemic approach to preventing and detecting safety hazards in consumer products. The U.S. delegation will be led by CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum.

Mills-Winkler and other private industry representatives, including delegates from major toy manufacturers, private labelers and industry associations, will be asked for their input and insights on various product safety issues to enable regulators to gather multiple viewpoints on the topics under discussion.

Delegates were selected based on their involvement in the safety of imported products from China. SGS's involvement includes product testing and certification, with nine SGS facilities in greater China and 22 overall accredited by CPSC as third-party testing laboratories under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Reports provided by SGS can be used to create the certificates of compliance required to sell children's products in the U.S. market under the CSPIA legislation.

The Summit agenda will include an examination of lessons learned in the two years since the past summit, as well as a discussion of new regulatory and voluntary tools that can be used to ensure continued progress. Also included will be discussions of product safety issues in specific areas, including toys, lead in children's products, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), lighters and fireworks.

The 2007 Summit focused on ensuring that manufacturers understood the necessity of meeting both voluntary standards and U.S. requirements (particularly ending the use of leaded paint on toys), information exchanges on recalls and other pressing product safety matters, and training Chinese government officials and manufacturers on CPSC requirements. One outcome of the 2007 discussions was the creation of a Chinese language section of the CPSC website.

About SGS Consumer Testing Services

SGS Consumer Testing Services, a division of the SGS Group, is the world's leading verification, testing and certification company. The company's comprehensive testing, product inspection, process assessment and technical services cover the entire supply chain from product development to retailing for electrical products, wireless products, soft line products, hard line products and food products. SGS' global network and expertise provide a single consolidated source that can help manufacturers, suppliers and retailers reduce risk, improve efficiency and product quality, and ensure compliance to both national and international standards. Parent company SGS Group has more than 50,000 employees and over 1,000 offices and laboratories in 140 countries. For more information about SGS Consumer Testing Services, visit www.us.sgs.com/cts

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