| For a number of years manufacturers of promotional | | | | will save you lots of time and money later. If you were |
| merchandise have been subject to more and more | | | | to consider making a new electrical device such as an |
| stringent safety testing processes. The following 5 tips | | | | MP3 Player or even a new sort of flash drive. These |
| in this article explain how to make sure that any | | | | would have to have entirely different tests compared |
| promotional items you supply will pass these tests. | | | | to the first two examples above. Another sector |
| 1.Get to know your local testing laboratory | | | | entirely like promotional clothing would have different |
| Getting to know your local product safety testing | | | | tests again. Take promotional jackets, embroidered |
| laboratory is an important step in the whole process. | | | | polo shirts or even printed T-shirts, in fact any sort of |
| Fortunately even if this lab has not done much testing | | | | corporate clothing, all these items would be subjected |
| of promotional merchandise in the past there are set | | | | to tests to make sure the colour dyes did not run. |
| guidelines and procedures that they will have details of. | | | | 4. Learn about product labelling |
| Once they have performed tests on a few | | | | Product labelling is another area that is really important |
| promotional items for you they will get to know how | | | | when it comes to safety testing. Each and every |
| you work, what requirements the industry needs and | | | | promotional gift you give away must be labelled so |
| things become much easier. | | | | that they are safe for the audience they are aimed at. |
| 2. Find out what products require which testing | | | | There are labels for every promotional product that |
| procedures. | | | | you can think of and if they can't go onto the actual |
| Your target audience will very much determine which | | | | item itself, say in the case of a small promotional |
| tests your particular promotional items need. A good | | | | keyring, then they go on to the plastic bag that it is |
| example might be promotional bottled water or even | | | | supplied in. |
| leather conference folders. It's not just the water that | | | | 5. Go on specific training courses |
| would need testing for any impurities, the bottle would | | | | You cannot take any chances with product safety |
| need to be checked to make sure it is safe from any | | | | testing. On-line courses are now available, they are |
| dangerous substances. And you may be surprised to | | | | inexpensive and will cover the basics but they will |
| learn that the label would be checked as well. | | | | never be as good as face to face courses. If you |
| 3. Discover as much as you can about all the entire | | | | belong to a local trade organisation they may be able |
| testing process | | | | to help. Failing that talk to other traders in the same |
| It is much better to try and iron out any potential design | | | | field as you at exhibitions or conferences. It's in |
| problems in a new product whilst it is on the drawing | | | | everybody's interest to maintain good standards in their |
| board. A knowledge of what tests may be required | | | | respective industries. |