Heirloom toys, dishes, cookware or jewelry — or new consumer products — can harbor harmful levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury or other elements.
How do you know what’s safe to use in your home, especially if you have young children?
Essco Safety Check, 15906 NE 83rd St. in downtown Redmond, will offer free testing to check the elemental makeup of any household goods, between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, May 12-15. Using laboratory-grade, handheld, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzers, testing experts can detect the presence and quantity (in parts per million) of potential toxins within an item that you and your loved ones use every day. At the free testing events, a limit of five items per person applies.
Each test takes less than a minute and is non-destructive to the item, said Essco Safety Check president Seth Goldberg and his brother, CEO Arin Goldberg.
The XRF tool has primarily been utilized by organizations such as HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), CPSC (Consumer Safety Product Commission) and in industries such as metal fabricating and mining.
But on a consumer level, such testing had led to recalls of products such as children’s toys or bedding.
In an interview with the Redmond Reporter, Seth pointed out some baby blocks and stacking rings that had obviously been gnawed by some teething toddlers — and unfortunately, were found to be unsafe. But it’s hard to know whether all such products should be recalled. Sometimes the problem is limited to particular colors or batches of toys.
The Goldbergs said their mission is not to scare parents or daycare providers but to use the XRF in “a commonsense, practical, preventative way.”
Seth noted, “We want to help moms and dads test what (their kids) play with, eat off, sleep on, so they can find problem items and remove them from their environment.”
Federal laws are especially focused on making sure that products for children 12 and under can not contain lead. Lead paint was banned in 1978 because of its known health hazards.
But even products which may have been safe at the time of manufacturing — for instance, coffee mugs, pots or pans — can become unsafe due to wear-and-tear, scratching or leeching from acidic foods. If in doubt, you may want to check on such items.
XRF testing can also provide many jobs because of its low cost and quick turn-around time, the Goldbergs said. It’s especially beneficial to small business owners, so they can be assured that their products comply with safety standards.
In a formal testing situation, clients would receive a written report regarding the makeup of the product. At the free testing sessions May 12-15, only verbal results will be given.
Also during the free testing events, visitors can purchase pre-paid punch cards to have additional products analyzed, schedule in-home or commercial inspections or register for door prizes.
A grand opening, ribbon-cutting ceremony, with visits from members of the Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce and officials from the City of Redmond, will take place at Essco Safety Check at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 12.
For more information, call (425) 749-4136 or visit www.essco-safetycheck.com.
