Recalls on Products From China - Be Aware, Prepared and Open

Monday October 1, 2007 | Filed under:

I'm sure you've seen stories in the popular press about recalls of products made in China, including the recent news in Counselor PromoGram about promotional products distributed by California that were found to contain more lead than permitted under guidelines acceptable in North America.

Obviously all of us are concerned about safety -- for our end-users, our customers, ourselves and our businesses.

This is going to become a bigger issue in coming months, and we all need to be informed, prepared and doing everything we can to ensure the products offered are safe and meet North American quality and safety guidelines. Here are a few things to consider:BE AWARE: ASI's magazines and e-newsletters are going to continue to aggressively report about safety and related issues, and you should do your best to read what's being reported and consider how to apply it to your distributor, supplier or decorator business. Let us know if you hear or read something that hasn't yet been reported by us by e-mailing Andy Cohen, editor of Counselor magazine, at acohen@asicentral.com.

BE PREPARED: Suppliers need to make certain they have properly tested (or have assurances of testing) the products they are selling. This includes any inks, dyes or other add-ons applied to products during the decorating stage of manufacturing. There's no time like the present to get copies of testing reports and certifications organized in an easy-to-access, easy-to-share way since increasing numbers of distributors and end-buyers are going to be demanding copies. Review liability insurance policies with your agents and attorneys to understand your coverage and what it requires to be most useful in case an issue arises.

BE OPEN: Distributors and suppliers need to be engaged in an open, honest dialogue about product safety. We're all in this together.

For additional thoughts and tips about product recalls, watch a video from a recent issue of Counselor PromoGram from ASI: click here.

Let me know what you think. Post on the blog, or email me anytime, at tim.andrews@asicentral.com.

Regards,

TA

P.S. It's important to remember that you need to contact your own attorney for specific guidance about this or any other legal issue.