How important is it that the lights you buy meets sfty/environ regs in your country?

[Handlobraesing]

After the Fisher Price recall of toys painted with lead paint, it raises a concern of use of toxic substances that are prohibited in the country of use (US/EU/JP, etc) but not specifically prohibited or loosely enforced in the country of origin.

Before the Fisher Price incident, there was a thread about clicky rubber cap on lights from China having smell and a suspicion it may contain dangerous plasticizer.

That's toxic/not toxic/good/bad are not entirely consistent around the world hence differences in regulations.

Even though they're not children's toys, flashlights are something you handle with bare hands and users don't wash their hands thoroughly after handling it, hold it in their mouth while using both hands are occupied and kids sometimes play with them.

How important is it to you that the lights you purchase meets environmental, health and safety regulations in your country?

Examples

Failure to comply with RoHS (EU)

Containing chemicals banned in your country for safety/health reasons(anywhere)

Fisher Price recall
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079082/

 

[pfccypret]

Very important, I think every flashlight sold in the US should be in full compliance with US laws and regulations. Same goes for any country and their standards, I would not want to do business with a company if they were unethical enough to ignore the law.

 

[Handlobraesing]

Very important, I think every flashlight sold in the US should be in full compliance with US laws and regulations. Same goes for any country and their standards, I would not want to do business with a company if they were unethical enough to ignore the law.

The article said that the lead paint was discovered in Fisher Price's own internal probing, whom initiated the recall.

Many flashlights you see on the shelves are made by Chinese manufacturers who privately labels their products for customers. This is why you see identical clones from different manufacturers or slightly different versions with the same guts with same/extremely similar model numbers. Example: Nuwai and River Rock.

Who do you think has the duty of ensuring compliance? The label brand, the reseller, exporter or importer(if the label brand isn't the direct importer)?

 

[TigerhawkT3]

I already work with or handle gasoline, ammunition, solder, etc., so one more hazardous product doesn't really bother me. That could be influenced by the facts that small children do not have access to my lights and I rarely if ever mouth hold my lights (from time to time an E0 with some electrical tape padding).

I think everyone involved in a product, from designer to manufacturer to retailer, has the responsibility to check for compliance. It's just too big an issue for any party to simply trust that everything went fine in previous steps. It's especially important for children's toys, or, of course, child-targeted flashlights, where mouth holding is a lot more common. This issue just underscores the value of proper parental supervision.

Bottom line: important in general, but not a problem for me.

 

[Fallingwater]

Don't care.
I'm not sniffing my tailcaps, so unless they're made of radioactive Strontium or something I seriously doubt any harm can come from them.

CR123 and LiIon batteries are much worthier worrying about than whatever the lights are made of.

 

[pfccypret]

The article said that the lead paint was discovered in Fisher Price's own internal probing, whom initiated the recall.

Many flashlights you see on the shelves are made by Chinese manufacturers who privately labels their products for customers. This is why you see identical clones from different manufacturers or slightly different versions with the same guts with same/extremely similar model numbers. Example: Nuwai and River Rock.

Who do you think has the duty of ensuring compliance? The label brand, the reseller, exporter or importer(if the label brand isn't the direct importer)?

Everyone. The manufacturer usually knows where their products are going, even if someone relabels them. When I worked in a factory we had to take special considerations for products going to California because they had different regulations then other States.

But also, if you are going to be reselling a product, you need to know what you are selling to people. When you slap your name on it and put it in stores, you make yourself responsible. Same with the exporter, importer. When you are doing business, you need to be inspecting the manufacturing facilities to make sure they are in compliance with local laws.

 

[nerdgineer]

I certainly care about toxins in stuff like imported (and US) foodstuffs, but for inorganic hardware things - pliers, flashlights, etc. - I think I understand the environmental risks of using them enough that I don't need anyone else helping to "safeguard" me with environmental testing and the like...

 

[DanielG]

What I drop my light in regularly is probably more hazardous than anything on the light from the manufacturing process.

It's gone a bit too far when you have a brick making factory and one of your storage houses has, "Caution, contents has proven to cause cancer" when the whole storage house is filled with beach sand.

 

[Handlobraesing]

What I drop my light in regularly is probably more hazardous than anything on the light from the manufacturing process.

It's gone a bit too far when you have a brick making factory and one of your storage houses has, "Caution, contents has proven to cause cancer" when the whole storage house is filled with beach sand.

I am talking about things like:
Lead in PVC parts, paint
Toxic plasticizers such as "Arochlor" (polychlorinated biphenyls)

Then, the less significant purely environmental things like RoHS compliance...

 

[DanielG]

I am talking about things like:
Lead in PVC parts, paint
Toxic plasticizers such as "Arochlor" (polychlorinated biphenyls)

Then, the less significant purely environmental things like RoHS compliance...

Oh, I know what you're saying. I'm still way more concerned about what I drop my light in than what's on the light to begin with.

Even when I'm chewing on the tailcap to use both hands under my car, I'm more concerned about what the light's been dropped in than the coating of it.

 

[djblank87]

I work in a hospital so to me it is some what important. Only because if I drop the light on the floor I really do not want to stick it in my mouth :shakehead, other than that I could care less.

 

[ViReN]

After the Fisher Price recall of toys painted with lead paint,

why don't they ban SLA Batteries... it contains a load of amount of LEAD ... not only that.. but virtually EACH and EVERY car has Lead Battery.... why dont they ban cars? :nana:

Imagine Cars full of Lead Batteries are dumped in open ground... wont it harm?

How many of us dispose Lead batteries properly

I think... this lead issue is far more than just a health hazard...it's some thing to do with economics, debt, credit and politics...

 

[Patriot]

why don't they ban SLA Batteries... it contains a load of amount of LEAD ... not only that.. but virtually EACH and EVERY car has Lead Battery.... why dont they ban cars? :nana:

Imagine Cars full of Lead Batteries are dumped in open ground... wont it harm?

How many of us dispose Lead batteries properly

I think... this lead issue is far more than just a health hazard...it's some thing to do with economics, debt, credit and politics...

Isn't the lead in a SLA battery more or less contained? I think the lead issue is more centered around consumables like dog food, toothpaste, children's toys and items they might touch and then suck on their hand for a while. There might be ties to economics or politics, but science has proven that lead is very bad to consume and that's verifiable. When I was about 10 or 11 years old I was sitting in my dad's shop casting full lead bullets by the tens of thousands, .45, .38, .44, 000buck and 9mm mostly. We were feeding several machine guns and with the free wheel weight lead we could load a .45acp for under 4 cents per round back then. I remember eating my lunch out there or snacking on pretzels and drinks while filling lead pots and cracking molds as fast as I could, maybe 30 bullets per minute. I know that there was ever a case of 'what not to do' that was probably it, but I've been very fortunate with my health and so far as a middle aged guy, I've been spared any health issues. I hope it stays that way too. What I'm getting at is that I do believe that the risk may be overstated some, but to what extent I really don't know.

To answer to OP's question, Yes...I think they should, but how is it going to be monitored? Considering the risk related to this subject I'd rather live with it than see my flashlight switches policed with my tax money.

 

[Handlobraesing]

why don't they ban SLA Batteries... it contains a load of amount of LEAD ... not only that.. but virtually EACH and EVERY car has Lead Battery.... why dont they ban cars? :nana:

Since when was it about the quantity? Lead in batteries don't leave the batteries. Lead water pipes and lead paint although contains lesser amount, present a much greater exposure risk.

Imagine Cars full of Lead Batteries are dumped in open ground... wont it harm?

How many of us dispose Lead batteries properly

Virtually each and every lead battery is collected. How many of us dispose of them properly? 933 out of 1000 between 1995 to 1999.

http://www.batterycouncil.org/recycling.html
http://www.batterycouncil.org/news-01recycle.html

Recycling a battery is economically feasible. You're picking off specs of dirt from a stack of precious. You're not scavaging specs of precious from a stack of dirt.

How much of the lead do you expect to be collected from non-RoHS compliant light exported to RoHS restricted nations? Small or big, commercial manufacturers/retailers are expected to comply, just as Surefire is.

 

[ViReN]

And what about NiCd batteries... RoHS isn't just Lead ... how many of NiCd batteries are being recycled 'properly'

Mercury, Cd are also equally dangerous... and not to forget our modders... those who buy solder wire.... that also contains Lead

I understand we should be concerned. But ... we don't swallow our flashlights... ... yes kids may but ... how lead from a water proof flashlight go in ... oh.. they open and suck in them?... perhaps that would be dangerous..... but will one give an expensive surefire to kids to play with? :nana:

Today Australia banned some thing they say big "bindi's" ... small colored spheres .... and the list continues...

 

[Handlobraesing]

And what about NiCd batteries... RoHS isn't just Lead ... how many of NiCd batteries are being recycled 'properly'

Mercury, Cd are also equally dangerous... and not to forget our modders... those who buy solder wire.... that also contains Lead

Your specific question addressed lead, I answered it. Are you just going out of your way to make me go look for a source?

I understand we should be concerned. But ... we don't swallow our flashlights... ... yes kids may but ... how lead from a water proof flashlight go in ... oh.. they open and suck in them?... perhaps that would be dangerous..... but will one give an expensive surefire to kids to play with? :nana:

Today Australia banned some thing they say big "bindi's" ... small colored spheres .... and the list continues...

The topic of this thread is about regulatory compliance. Since Surefire certifies RoHS compliance on flashlights shipped to RoHS regulated area, they are compliant.

Can you say the same is true for other commercially produced CPF popular flashlights, such as Fenix, which is mentioned as it is one of the most CPF popular light.

 

[ViReN]

Your specific question addressed lead, I answered it. Are you just going out of your way to make me go look for a source?

No ...Please don't worry. I think I would be out of this thread now