When purchasing this or that product, products, raw materials, we want to be sure that the purchase will be completely safe for our health and the environment. But what exactly is considered the safety of goods? How is it determined? What are its varieties? What is said at this point in domestic law?
Definition
The safety of goods is their peculiarity, which provides the smallest risk, which is also limited by permissible legislative norms. Products must be safe in the following steps:
- Production.
- Storage.
- Packaging.
- Transportation.
- Exploitation.
- Consumption or use.
Product safety is a characteristic of a product in which it does not harm both the life and health of its buyer, consumer.
But it is important to note the following. During operation and consumption, absolute safety of goods cannot be achieved. For example, if a manufacturer operates electrical products, there is always a risk that he will suffer from high voltage in the network. If the buyer uses a sharp object, one cannot exclude the risk that he might be injured.
How is the safety of goods and services in commodity science considered? This refers only to minimizing possible injuries during the operation of the goods in strict accordance with the rules of its harmless, safe operation. They can be stated in the relevant regulations, codes of practice, user instructions. That is, it is imperative to be included in the information that should be brought to the attention of buyers.
Varieties
Product safety is a few varieties. The following stand out:
- Mechanical
- Chemical.
- Electric.
- Physiological.
- Acoustic
- Biological
- Radiation.
- Electromagnetic
- Fire department.
- Vehicle safety.
We will get to know each type in more detail.
Electric type
Such safety of consumer goods characterizes their ability to fully and effectively withstand the leakage of electrical energy and protect people from the effects of electric current.
It determines the reliability of the insulation of the conductive elements of the device, the response period of protective equipment and so on.
Mechanical type
This refers to such features of products and goods that protect the user, consumer from cutting, rotating, protruding parts of any device.
The mechanical safety properties will be determined by the condition of the metal or wooden elements of the surfaces of the goods, the security of the cutting parts, the absence of burrs, gaps, etc. For example, one of the indicators of mechanical safety is the strength of fastening shoe heels, the protection of zippers on clothing.
Chemical type
It is very important to control the safety of goods. Such safety will characterize the level of human security from exposure to harmful components. Such substances can enter his body through the respiratory tract (such as aerosols, elements of paints and varnishes), skin (for example, clothing, cosmetic products), along with food.
When determining the chemical safety of products, it is necessary to establish the MPC values (decoding - maximum permissible concentration) of harmful components. That is, a concentration that, with daily use or use, cannot cause pathologies, diseases, deviations in general well-being as at present? and after a long time, both for the person himself and for his unborn children.
Biological type
This relates more to food safety. Here, the level of protection of the human body from the effects of both micro- and macroorganisms is characterized.
Microorganisms are viruses, bacteria, etc. Macroorganisms - plants, large animals, insects, as well as their metabolic products, the culture of individual tissues and cells.
The lack of biological safety can cause disease in people, intoxication of the body, injury, make a person a carrier of a virus. Such security should be ensured by the process of production of goods, and the development of effective means of protection, and a prevention system.
Absolutely all product categories should possess the properties of biological safety. But more attention is paid to food, cosmetics, perfumes, dishes, children's toys and so on.
Physiological type
The mandatory safety requirements of the product include its physiological safety. That is, the absence during use, consumption of goods of risks for individual organs or the entire human body.
How do they decide how physiologically safe a particular product or product is? They study how it is able to change the vital functions of the human body. They also study the change in the integrating and regulatory role of the nervous system under the influence of the operation of a product. So, for example, the effect of vitamins and vitamin supplements on the human body is investigated.
Acoustic type
Here we are talking about the degree of protection of consumers, buyers from noise. They are considered to be any sound, unpleasant, irritable to humans. And already a long exposure to noise, and even with it ultra-, infrasound, can lead to serious disorders of the central nervous system.
In particular, prolonged exposure to ultrasounds leads to rapid fatigue, headaches. If the sound pressure exceeds 130 dB, then such noise can even cause pain.
Vibration type
Conducting an assessment of the safety of goods in this vein, experts examine the characteristics of goods that provide adverse vibrational effects on the human body. It is proved that vibration negatively affects one's well-being, health, working capacity, comfort and so on.
By the method of influencing people, vibration is divided into local and general. The first can be transmitted through certain parts of the human body - arms, legs. Like, for example, a jackhammer. The total affects the whole body. For example, vibration of public transport.
Electromagnetic type
Such safety characterizes the features of products, leading to a decrease in the risk of exposure to electromagnetic waves, radiation on the human body.
We remember that a magnetic field will occur near any device operating on electric current. The most common sources of electromagnetic radiation: televisions, microwave ovens, computers (their displays, which are made of cathode ray tubes) and so on.
And as for the consequences of periodic work with products that emit electromagnetic waves, then this stands out:
- Cardiovascular pathology.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Skin diseases.
- The appearance of various tumors and so on.
Radiation type
This refers to the degree of protection of the buyer, the consumer from radioactive radiation. What products can be their source? This is the following:
- Food contaminated with radioactive waste.
- Building materials, jewelry, asbestos, marble, containing radioactive elements in doses exceeding permissible for human organisms.
Uranium and transuranic compounds, radon, radium, as well as a combination of radioactive isotopes are considered dangerous radioactive elements.
Fire type
These are the properties of products that help protect the buyer from any kind of damage by fire - ignition, explosion, etc.
It must be remembered that the greatest danger in a fire is not only the high temperature itself at the epicenter of ignition. These are mainly toxic products released during combustion. They cause suffocation, large-scale intoxication of the human body. Fire safety indicators are primarily important for carpet, floor coverings, electric heating devices.
Vehicle Security
This is the most important assessment in the quality control of cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and other existing vehicles. All structural systems and vehicle components should help to prevent accident. And in the event that an accident did occur, minimize injuries to both the driver and his passengers, as well as pedestrians and others.
In particular, vehicle safety should include:
- Increased brake system efficiency.
- The stability of the vehicle itself.
- Improved road handling.
- Increased visibility for the driver.
- Increased safety of installed car seats (in particular, there should be airbags, seat belts).
- Providing a quick and convenient exit from the vehicle.
- Reducing the likelihood of injury when in contact with the internal surfaces of the passenger compartment, etc.
To ensure the safety of the vehicle to the proper extent, special standards are being developed both for vehicles in general and for their individual components - protection from blinding light, brake pads, etc.
Legal framework
Each consumer has the right to product safety. This is directly stated in the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights (Article 7).
The buyer of a product or service has the right to ensure that the product or service purchased by him during his usual use, storage, transportation and subsequent disposal is safe for the health and life of the consumer, for the environment, and does not harm the property of this citizen.
In turn, manufacturers of goods, service providers must ensure the safety of their products throughout their specified shelf life, service life. If such a period is not set by the manufacturer, then by default it will be a period of 10 years.
If, as a result of the failure to ensure the safety of products, work, services, harm has been caused to the life, property, or health of the buyer or consumer, it must be compensated in accordance with Art. 14 of the Consumer Protection Act.
The safety of a product, work or service is an integral characteristic of all of the above. It may be biological. vibrational, physiological, radiation, fire and so on. The right to such security is guaranteed to consumers in the Russian Federation by relevant legislation.