How to Determine Product Safety Standards

Identify Safety Standards & Test Services with VTEC Labs

One of the most crucial parts of the development stage is identifying, understanding and meeting all required safety standards for new products. Each industry has a distinct set of regulations you’re responsible for complying with — but where do you start?

Read on to learn how to identify which safety standards you should test for and how to begin the testing process.

What Are Product Safety Standards?

Product safety standards are a list of regulations and rules your product must abide by before being compliant. Industry experts establish authoritative bodies and work together to create, approve and continuously evaluate product standards. Some standards focus on a product’s or service’s safety, while other guidelines ensure efficacy, reliability, longevity and durability. Various governing bodies monitor standards and occasionally revise or update them to include new findings or reflect industry changes.

Standards vary across industries and sometimes within the industry itself. Standards compliance is an essential part of creating a product because it ensures your product is safe and does what its designer intended it to do. Some products will need to meet multiple test product safety standards for total compliance and efficacy. You’ll find requirements for all types of products, like military equipment, consumer goods, food and beverage and newly constructed buildings.

Some well-recognized standards organizations you might have heard of include the following.

• ASTM: ASTM stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials, an international group of voluntary standards for products and services.
• ISO: The ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. Their international standards focus on various factors — like technology, science and economy — to establish an extensive catalog of standards across industries.
• IEEE: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers creates standards for engineering, computers and technology fields worldwide.
• NFPA: The National Fire Protection Association is an international organization responsible for managing fire-related standards, like residential building requirements, fire codes and sprinkler system installation.

How to Determine the Relevant Safety Standards for Your Product

It’s your responsibility to secure product testing for safety standards and other industry compliance. Which type of testing and how many codes you must meet depend on several factors, such as your industry, the final user, your product’s separate components, which state you’re creating and selling the product in and your insurance policy.

To determine whether your product, material or service requires compliance and which regulations you must legally follow, consult the following resources.

Check Government Agencies and Websites

Consult your federal and state government websites to learn more about prevalent safety codes in your industry or area. You can also research specific codes and find their organization’s website for further instructions. For example, if you’re developing a portable fire extinguisher, you would visit the NFPA website for a complete list of all fire extinguisher codes, including specific instructions for compact, lightweight units.

Research Industry-Specific Standards

Dig into your industry specifics with databases like the American National Standards Institute, an organization that oversees standards development and accreditation. Search for your industry sector and sub-category to see which standards you may be responsible for. Once you’ve located the correct standards for your industry and product, you may need to conduct further research to learn specific details about gaining compliance in those areas.

Remember, industry standards vary across countries — make sure you’re researching accurate information for your market area.

Contact Product Testing Experts for Assistance

Reputable testing experts are third-party entities with industry knowledge. They can perform a series of inspections and assessments on your product to determine whether you’re meeting all current standards for your product, and what steps you should take to gain compliance if necessary.

VTEC Laboratories can help you understand the importance and intricacies of your products’ compliance to safety standards and identify necessary testing areas. When you request a free quote from us, we will ask to learn more about the product you’re developing, including your industry, its intended function, location and desired market. Once we’ve assessed regulations and established the type of compliance you need, we can also conduct evidence-based testing.

Who Should Perform Testing for Product Safety Standards?

While in-house inspection and testing is an excellent place to start, additional third-party testing is critical. A third-party agency has no stake or bias in your product or company, allowing for a more critical assessment based on evidence and industry research. They provide a fresh perspective based on extensive knowledge of existing criteria and standards. Successful third-party testing may also lend your product more legitimacy in consumers’ eyes, especially regarding potentially dangerous products or materials.

Valid, accurate product testing requires an accredited lab familiar with your industry. Third-party testing services must meet specific standards before they can create, test, validate or issue certification for your product or service. With an extensive range of evidence-based services, VTEC Laboratories is an international leader in product testing. Some of our accreditations include ISO 17025, ISO 17020 and ISO 17065 compliance.

Since 1982, we have been an integral part of the testing and compliance stage for businesses and organizations across various industries, including:

• Basic, industrial, plastic and custom chemical sectors.
• Aerospace, automotive, marine and rail transportation.
• Industrial and manufacturing construction and engineering.
• Military and government agencies.

Remember to allocate plenty of time in your development and compliance stage to obtain third-party testing. In case your product fails to meet standards during initial testing, ensure you have the extra time and resources you’ll need to meet standards and undergo additional tests.

Contact VTEC Laboratories to Learn More

Maintaining product compliance is an essential part of product development because it protects you, your business, the consumer and the public. It ensures you’re creating a product that will work as intended. Several resources exist to help you identify which codes you must follow. A third-party testing service is the best way to meet all industry regulations and get the critical, unbiased feedback you need to offer a valuable and profitable service.

VTEC Laboratories is a multi-functional company that offers the following services:

• Fire and flammability testing
• Physical, material and weather testing
• Thermal, chemical or image analysis
• Industry-specific research and development
• Safety tests for building departments
• Listing, labeling and follow-up inspections
• Fabrication and installation guidance
• Environmental testing for air, water and formaldehyde

We can also use our fire and flammability testing and investigation background to be an expert witness for fire-related court cases. Besides the industries listed above, we provide testing and certifications for custom and refurbished products or builds. Contact us today to get started.