Xiaoshan shoe enterprises to deal with excessive hexavalent chromium "invisible killer"

Due to the problem of excessive hexavalent chromium, two batches of safety shoes in Shandong were reported by France. This year, the European Union's rapid alert system for non-food consumption products has issued 11 notifications for leather products. Of these, 9 of the footwear notifications contained more than 3 ppm of hexavalent chromium in leather. This is not only a test but also a promotion for more than 170 shoe export enterprises in Xiaoshan.

Shoe company export risk increased

Hexavalent chromium, which is an ingestion poison/inhalant toxicant, may cause sensitization due to skin contact, may cause hereditary genetic defects, may cause cancer by inhalation, and may have a lasting risk to the environment. In December 2011, the new safety footwear standard EN ISO 20345:2011, approved by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), contained no more than 3 ppm of hexavalent chromium. The regulations came into effect in June 2012.

“The two footwear reports are definitely affecting Xiaoshan footwear export companies.” Tong Lanying, director of the Animal and Plant Services Division of Xiaoshan Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, told reporters that Xiaoshan has many footwear export companies, but However, there are widespread problems with small scale, low unit price, and low quality. Some manufacturers even stay in the stage of family workshops, which directly increases the risk of shoe quality. In particular, excessive hexavalent chromium has now become a major "invisible killer" for footwear exports.

Tong Lanying said that after August 15 last year, footwear exports can be exported directly without the need for inspection, and the risk factor is even greater. Before the shoes were exported, the fabrics were inspected by the inspection and quarantine department of Xiaoshan. After passing the qualification, the company will start production. Once the fabric fails, it will be directly returned to the supplier. However, after the cancellation of the inspection, the footwear exports can be exported without testing. If a company directly exports shoes, a failure will occur, and the company will face the loss of returns or even direct destruction in the exporting country.

The inspection and quarantine department in our district reminds that footwear exports must be clear about the EU's requirements for hexavalent chromium, especially those countries with relatively concentrated notifications from Germany and other countries. At the same time, it will strengthen the detection of hexavalent chromium content in leather raw materials, strictly monitor the storage and transportation environment of raw materials and finished products, and avoid the oxidation of trivalent chromium into hexavalent chromium. In addition, the detection of hexavalent chromium in safety shoes should also be strengthened to ensure that the product meets the new requirements for safety shoes in the European Union.

"Spontaneous pressure" initiative inspection

In the recent period, Hangzhou Tongyun Shoes Co., Ltd.'s workshop is in the process of rushing into a batch of orders for more than 100,000 US dollars in single shoes. After the orders are completed, they will be shipped to the United States. However, before they are shipped to the United States, they still need to go to another place - the testing agency.

“We have introduced a third-party testing agency and will conduct tests on some chemical and physical projects. Of course, it will also include testing whether chromium is excessive.” Tao Li, a staff member of Tongshui Footwear, told reporters that even if the shoes are no longer included, In the scope of inspection, enterprises can also withdraw orders without worrying about quality issues. In fact, every single shoe exports, they will be so tested, but also according to the different requirements of customers to detect the corresponding project. Last year, Tongyun Shoes Industry also introduced a special testing device that was specifically designed to detect whether the lead content exceeded the standard. Because there are layers of checks, the first quarter of Tongyun footwear exports also achieved a steady growth, January-February to achieve 1.4 million US dollars in exports.

Zhejiang Shandi Imports and Exports Co., Ltd., which exports craft shoes, also sent its export shoes to a third-party testing agency for testing. "If the customer has a request, we will test it according to the customer's requirements. If there is no specific requirement, it will be processed according to industry standards and national standards." The company's relevant person Liu Yangbin said, in short, will not wait until after export to solve the problem, But quality control is advanced. Before each single exit, it will be tested.

Just like this, Xiaoshan shoe enterprises effectively countered the "invisible killer" of hexavalent chromium. Since the cancellation of the footwear inspection, there has not been a reported incident of hexavalent chromium exceeding the standard.

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