A warning has been issued over the use of banned chemicals in jewellery, glues and adhesives this Christmas.
Retailers are urged to check their stock, while consumers should be aware of what they are buying.
The Health and Safety Authority has announced that it is participating in a European-wide enforcement campaign to assess the presence of restricted chemicals in jewellery, glues and adhesives.
The chemicals cadmium, nickel and lead are banned in jewellery while benzene, chloroform and toluene are banned in glues and adhesives.
The campaign is part of an inspection drive led by the European Chemicals Agency. The aim is to ensure these consumer products comply with the REACH Regulation, which is designed to improve chemicals safety in the European Union.
Inspectors from the Authority have been checking for the presence of restricted chemicals in jewellery articles, glues and adhesives sold on the Irish market.
Yvonne Mullooly, Senior Inspector with the HSA said: “This campaign involves checking jewellery, glues and adhesives to see if these banned chemicals are present. Importers, manufacturers and distributors of jewellery and glue products should already be aware of the legal requirements within the REACH Regulation and retailers selling such products should check with their suppliers to ensure their existing stock is compliant. All non-compliant stock should be removed from the shelves.”
Importers, distributors and retailers are encouraged to check the weekly EU RAPEX alert system which identifies the list of goods found to be not compliant with EU requirements.
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