Safer Products Save Lives™

05 Jun 2013

June is “National Safety Month”, but what is product safety and who is responsible for it?

June is "National Safety Month", but what is product safety and who is responsible for it?

We'll explore those answers in today's blog; however, first we should show our appreciation to everyone who is committed to the creation and enforcement of safety – whether it's in the home, at school, or your place of work. There are many dedicated organizations and individuals who make up this team, including manufacturers, retailers, architects, associations, inspectors, code officials, and testing laboratories. All of these groups and individuals play a critical role with the ultimate goal of keeping people and property safe from harm.

Since the late 19th century when product "standards" began to develop, there has been a focus on the manufacturing process to ensure that safer products were making their way to market – especially  electrical products where the rush to launch new innovations sometimes took a backseat to consumer safety. To help regulate this and enforce that products met the standards, independent laboratories such as Intertek began to emerge. Today, more than 125 years later, the processes for manufacturing, testing, certification, and final inspection are far more defined – and the benefits are felt in the marketplace every day.

At Intertek, we're proud to play such a large role in product safety.

Regardless of whether or not you find yourself in the process of product safety, everyone can appreciate the end result of product safety. You see it and feel it every day in the products you purchase and use – from office equipment to home electronics, medical devices to HVAC, lighting to life safety and personal protective equipment and much, much more. It's an integral part of your life that may not spend much time thinking about, but should at least be made aware.

Please join us in celebrating and recognizing National Safety Month, and help to ensure that products are tested in the laboratory and not in the marketplace. What are your thoughts on product safety and how to make the process even more effective?